Beto O'rourke Calls For Democrats To Be 'ruthless' In Pursuit Of Power, Backs Newsom's Gerrymandering Proposal

Former Texas Senate campaigner and grounded 2020 Democratic statesmanlike contender Beto O’Rourke called for Democrats to beryllium "ruthless" successful their pursuit of powerfulness and endorsed partisan gerrymandering.

"We person to get serious. We have to beryllium perfectly ruthless about getting backmost successful power. So, yes, successful California, successful Illinois, in New York, wherever we have the trifecta of power, we have to usage that to its absolute extent," O’Rourke told CNN "State of nan Union" big Jake Tapper.

The 2 were discussing a Texas proposal to redraw legislature maps up of nan 2026 midterms to alteration nan number of Democratic-represented districts successful a process known arsenic gerrymandering. The proposal, if adopted, could adhd up to 5 GOP-friendly legislature districts successful nan Lone Star State and President Trump has travel retired successful favour of specified a move. 

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke called connected nan Democrats to beryllium "ruthless" successful nan pursuit of power.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has projected repealing a 2010 authorities rule which vested nan powerfulness to redraw legislature maps to a nonpartisan independent committee erstwhile each 10 years and reconstruct that usability to nan authorities legislature. Such a move, which would beryllium difficult to propulsion disconnected politically, could let his authorities to found legislature districts connected a partisan basis. 

"Gov. Gavin Newsom has talked astir redistricting successful his state. I deliberation it’s clip we matched occurrence pinch fire," O’Rourke said erstwhile asked if he supports Newsom’s proposal. "Democrats successful nan past excessively often have been much concerned with being correct than being successful power. And we‘ve seen nan Republicans only attraction astir being in power sloppy of what is right."

O’Rourke’s rhetoric surrounding nan Democratic Party echoed remarks made by the California governor astatine a July property convention wherever he floated nan thought of eliminating nan independent commission.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called to alteration his state's constitution truthful nan legislature tin redraw legislature maps.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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"We tin enactment holier than thou, we tin beryllium connected nan sidelines, talk astir nan measurement nan world should be. Or, we tin admit nan existential quality that is this moment," Newsom said.

The independent commission’s powers are enshrined successful California authorities law, and Newsom will look an uphill conflict successful changing them. He has projected 2 approaches toward subverting his state’s constitution. One would beryllium for nan legislature to walk a rule giving itself nan powerfulness to redraw legislature maps mid-decade – a move that would apt beryllium struck down by nan courts – aliases to put a alteration to nan Golden State’s constitution up for referendum.

President Donald Trump has travel retired successful support of a Texas connection to redraw Congressional districts.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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The Texas Democrat besides warned that Republican efforts to gerrymander could extremity up biting them successful nan "a—" because they tally nan consequence of dispersing GOP voters and inadvertently putting formerly beardown reddish districts successful play.