Breaking: Trump loses two massive court cases - Brian Tyler Cohen [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

Democracy Watch episode 453: Republicans lose cases to block Democratic maps in California, Virginia

Brian Tyler Cohen and voting rights attorney Mark Elias discuss two major legal victories for Democrats in redistricting cases:

California Victory
- A federal three-judge panel rejected Republican efforts to block California's Proposition 50 redistricting map
- This was the sixth legal defeat for Republicans challenging this map
- The Trump DOJ even got involved but still lost
- Brian Tyler Cohen helped raise about $1 million through a livestream to support the ballot initiative

Virginia Victory
- A judge in Tazwell County denied a Republican temporary restraining order attempting to block Virginia's Democratic legislature from advancing their own redistricting effort
- Virginia Democrats are pursuing a "10-1" congressional map through a ballot initiative process similar to California's

Mark Elias emphasizes that:
- Democrats should aggressively gerrymander in blue states as a deterrent against Republican gerrymandering in red states
- Voters across the political spectrum are showing appetite for fighting back against Republican abuses (noting ~10% of Trump voters in California supported Prop 50)
- Making changes through constitutional amendments via ballot initiatives creates legally solid maps

Both hosts stress the importance of Democrats being willing to "fight back" rather than taking an overly cautious approach.