Scott Jennings Critiques Gavin Newsom’s Gerrymandering Proposal
CNN’s Scott Jennings succinctly critiqued California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent address, which focused on the topic of Gerrymandering during a constituency meeting in Los Angeles.
In his speech, Newsom revealed plans for a special election set for November 4th along with a voting initiative aimed at introducing a new democracy-led rezoning strategy ahead of the mid-term elections in 2026. On CNN’s “Arena with Kasie Hunt,” Jennings didn’t hold back, laughing off what he characterized as hypocrisy in Newsom’s message.
“Let me summarize Gavin Newsom’s speech today,” Jennings remarked. “Gerrymandering is bad. So, vote for my gerrymandering.” He pointed out that Newsom conveniently ignored the existing gerrymandered situation. Republicans, despite receiving about 40% of the votes in California, only hold 17% of congressional seats under the current system, suggesting that things could get even more skewed.
To put it in perspective, Republicans consistently capture around 40% of California’s vote but occupy just nine of 52 seats in Congress—far from reflective of their electoral support. Even though state leaders claim to employ an independent committee to mitigate partisan biases, Democrats have maintained significant control.
Meanwhile, some major media outlets seem to overlook how other states, like Illinois, have extremely partisan congressional maps, which raises questions about the defense of democratic processes. Under the previous presidential administration, despite Trump winning over 43.5% of the vote, Democrats hold around 82% of the congressional seats in Illinois.
Democrats have, in fact, adjusted congressional maps in places like New York, New Jersey, and Maryland to their benefit, revealing a consistent pattern in redistricting strategies. Newsom’s recent comments came in the context of allegations that Republican figures might be trying to manipulate election outcomes ahead of the 2026 elections.
California has a history of handing over rezoning authority to nonpartisan committees since 2010—an effort aimed at curbing partisan influence. Despite that, the current landscape illustrates ongoing challenges as states like New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Oregon, and Illinois navigate their own redistricting hurdles.
