California Governor Gavin Newsom seems to be struggling with understanding maps.
On July 30th, he engaged with Vice President J.D. Vance on X, amidst the ongoing clash between Republicans and Democrats over the drawing of district lines, particularly in Texas.
Vance kicked off a discussion by criticizing California’s redistricting practices, claiming, “California’s gerrymanders are outrageous. Of their 52 Congressional districts, only nine are held by Republicans. So, despite regularly winning about 40% of the votes in that state, Republicans only get 17% representation.”
It seems Newsom, or perhaps someone managing his social media, took the moment to defend the Democrats. “Try again, it’s ridiculous,” he tweeted.
Try again, stupid stupidity. https://t.co/h7rjhvrucn pic.twitter.com/LE0E8CR1IO
– Gavin Newsom (@gavinnewsom) July 30, 2025
A rather strange map was attached to this tweet.
Titled “Most Gerrymandered States 2025,” the map shows a nearly grey U.S. divided by state borders, with only a few states highlighted in green.
At the bottom, a very simple key states, “in the most jerrymander.” It features just one symbol: a green circle with the word “yes.”
Just take a moment to appreciate the simplicity of this visual before diving into specifics about the states.
Interestingly, the map skips over defining “gerrymandered” and doesn’t explain how the rankings were determined.
But the standout aspect? The key itself.
“In the most jerrymander.”
“Yes.”
Data visualization is my passion https://t.co/gvoq8doiwi pic.twitter.com/uqdt5lnkko
– Daniel (@growing_daniel) July 30, 2025
This may be the most incredible key I’ve ever seen on the map. “These are many forms I have decided to emphasize.” https://t.co/i2k6aldtv3
– Bernard Stanford✡︎ (@stanfordnyc) July 30, 2025
For a moment I thought I was criticizing this map. Because only very stupid people use the legend of the color that says yes. https://t.co/wcft3klgic
– poiimath (@politicalmath) July 30, 2025
It’s almost humorous. The states likely deemed “among the most jerrymandered” include Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Interestingly, other states such as Illinois, Nevada, New York, and even California—where Newsom governs—are left out of this assessment.
But, I think we might be missing the larger point here. Many would say that Newsom might either be a bit slow on the uptake or just very clever. Maybe both.
By noon on August 1st, Newsom’s post had garnered around 85,000 likes. I doubt all of them are genuine supporters; perhaps only a handful truly grasp the absurdity of the map, while others just might align with his views for personal reasons.
Supporters of Newsom might interpret his tone as suggesting he has effectively won the argument regarding gerrymandering.
“Newsom’s confidence implies he must be right, thus proving his point.”
Or, maybe they simply agree because of their feelings about him.
“I like Newsom, and I’m not fond of Vance, so he must be correct about gerrymandering.”
As long as he delivers his messages with confidence, Newsom may believe that the actual content is secondary. Who cares about the specifics of “science” when they feel good about it, right?
