HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was California’s governor from 2003 to 2011, expressed concern over the state’s redistricting efforts in a recently aired interview.
He told CNN host Jake Tapper during a Sunday’s “State of the Union” show that California is participating in a “war” over which state can “out-cheat” others.
“There’s this war going on all over the United States, who can out-cheat the other one. Texas started it, they did something terribly wrong, and then all of a sudden California says, ‘well then we have to do something terribly wrong,’ and then now other states are jumping in and now this is spreading like wildfire all over the country,” Schwarzenegger explained.
Californians will vote next week on whether to redraw their congressional maps, an action usually done by an independent commission. California’s effort follows similar moves by Texas and other Republican-controlled states that would give the GOP a better chance at keeping a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Schwarzenegger expressed sadness over how California, which he described as a leader in fair districting, could sideline the commission. The panel was established under his tenure.
“It saddens me to see that we’re going in the opposite direction, rather than having an independent commission draw the district lines. And so, Jake, I have to tell you that, you know, when you think about trying to out-cheat each other, rather than outperform each other, it’s all between Democrats and Republicans. And the ones that are getting left behind are the people.”
Current Gov. Gavin Newsom has campaigned in favor of the redistricting measure, called Proposition 50. He has spoken about the state’s efforts through various means, defending it as a necessary step in challenging national Republicans like President Donald Trump, who directed multiple redistricting attempts.
“Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and thanks to the hard work of the California legislature, they will have a choice to fight back — and bring much needed accountability to Trump’s efforts to undermine the democratic process,” Newsom said in a statement in August.
State Democratic leaders have also signaled support for Proposition 50, including Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas. He said in a statement that California wouldn’t be a “bystander to Trump’s power grab.”
“We are acting to defend our state from his attacks, by taking it directly to the voters. Californians believe in democracy and freedom, and we will not stand by while the House is hijacked by authoritarianism,” Rivas said in August. “Today, we gave every Californian the opportunity to stop Trump by saying yes to our people, to our state, and to American democracy.”
Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.