California Governor Gavin Newsom has indicated that pursuing special elections aimed at reshaping Congressional districts due to gerrymandering could impose a cost of up to $250 million on state taxpayers.
On Tuesday, he appears willing to jeopardize national interests for what some see as a purely partisan objective of redistricting, as articulated by Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego).
Currently, California employs an independent commission to oversee districting. Evidence has shown that it faltered when some Republican districts were established.
In a statement from DeMaio’s office, it was emphasized:
Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering calling special statewide elections filled with amendments to the state constitution that would allow political manipulation of district lines, effectively dismantling the independent citizen-led redistricting approach that has aimed to keep the process fair and nonpartisan for years.
Today, Assemblyman Carl DeMaio has released an estimated cost for these potential special elections: $250 million!
“California is grappling with a serious budget shortfall, and with significant cuts made to programs that support the poorest Californians, it’s absurd to think that dropping $250 million on these dubious plans for election manipulation is a wise move,” DeMaio stated.
Prior to entering the state legislature in 2024, DeMaio was recognized nationally for his expertise in government budgeting and accountability reforms.
DeMaio’s $250 million estimate for a possible election in November 2025 is derived from this methodology:
- The total cost for the statewide governor’s recall election in 2021 was $200,241,680.
- Since 2021, California has seen an increase of approximately 800,000 registered voters, totaling about 22,900,896 as of February 2025, necessitating more ballots to be processed.
- Inflation has significantly impacted costs, with salaries and benefits for California local governments rising by 19% and postage rates increasing by 17% since 2021.
- Furthermore, DeMaio anticipates that numerous lawsuits related to Newsom’s redistricting strategy could result in taxpayers shouldering additional expenses between $5 million and $10 million.
“Gavin Newsom’s misguided effort to end California’s nonpartisan, citizen-driven redistricting in favor of politicized districting is damaging to our democracy and fiscally irresponsible given our state’s serious budget challenges,” DeMaio concluded.
In Congress, the state’s delegation consists of 52 members, with only nine Republicans among them.
Newsom’s push for gerrymandering comes as a counter to redistricting efforts in Texas, mandated by the Justice Department over civil rights issues, which received support from then-President Donald Trump.
This year, California faced a $12 billion deficit, following an even larger deficit the previous year prior to budget cuts.
