In the heart of Bakersfield, California, a wave of discontent is brewing among voters over Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's alleged attempts to redraw the state's political boundaries, a process known as gerrymandering.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reports that many voters are expressing their desire for the governor to abandon these efforts.
The proposed redistricting plan by California Democrats is designed to turn five Republican-held House seats in the state into Democratic ones. This move is seen as a countermeasure to Texas' proposed map, which, if implemented, could potentially flip five Democratic seats to Republican.
One of the districts in the crosshairs of the Newsom-backed map is California's 22nd congressional district, which encompasses a portion of Bakersfield.
"Hell no. Im against it," a local resident told the Daily Caller News Foundation, expressing his disapproval of the proposed California map. He questioned the need for such a move, citing a recent poll that revealed a 63% opposition to the redistricting initiative among Californians.
Another voter echoed this sentiment, calling for a fair process. "Weve already got a market on the parties in this countrys state. Just leave it alone. They need to do it fairly," he said. He also expressed his distrust in the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, which was approved by California voters in 2010.
The current House map of California, drawn by the commission following the 2020 Census, features 43 seats held by Democrats and a mere nine by Republicans. This imbalance has led some voters to express their disapproval of gerrymandering.
"Im not interested in gerrymandering," a young adult male stated. "I dont think we should do it."
A female voter, without waiting for the question to be fully asked, interjected, "Recall Newsom. We need to get rid of him." This sentiment is not new; in 2021, an attempt to recall Governor Newsom failed by nearly 24 percentage points. However, in Kern County, where Bakersfield is located, approximately 62% of voters supported the recall effort.
Newsom recently announced a special November election for voters to decide if they want to override the states redistricting commission until after the 2030 census. This would allow the Democratic-controlled state legislature to implement its partisan map.
However, not all voters are against the governor's redistricting efforts. One voter argued that California should retaliate against Texas, where Democratic lawmakers who had fled the state are returning to Austin to vote on their newly redistricted map. "Its good!" the man exclaimed. "We didnt start it, Trump started it in Texas. So you know what? Fight back!"
Yet, the majority sentiment among Bakersfield voters seems to be one of frustration and disillusionment with the political process. A young man expressed his belief that politicians are indifferent to the opinions of the middle and lower classes.
"And our voting system is corrupted, and no matter what we say or do about it, its not gonna change for the middle class or the lower class. Its just gonna be the same thing over and over," he said.
Another young man criticized California's Republican representatives for their lack of resistance against the state's Democratic government. "Our Republican Party is completely incompetent and its like, even on things that I would support them on, its like they have no backbone, no anything," he lamented.
Despite the widespread discontent, there were a few who supported Newsom's redistricting efforts, although they did not provide further details. Several others admitted to being "unfamiliar" or "unaware" of the redistricting push.
As the debate over redistricting continues to heat up, it remains to be seen how this will impact the political landscape in California. What is clear, however, is that many voters are yearning for a fair and transparent process that respects their voices and choices.
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