Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York criticized Democratic lawmakers in California for temporarily abandoning “democratic” values to redistrict.

York noted that the Citizens’ Redistricting Commission did not have a say in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) call for a special election in November to create new congressional maps in the state. York said on The Hugh Hewitt Show on Tuesday that maps are being expedited to impeach President Donald Trump.

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“It’s like saying, you know, these are our progressive values, but we’re going to have to put them on the shelf for a few years while we deal with the threat, the singular threat of Donald Trump, who presents a threat to our entire democracy,” York said. “And then we’ll become democratic again after the 2030 census.”

Newsom unveiled a plan to redraw the map of California’s congressional districts, giving Democrats five additional seats in the House of Representatives. The plan would only apply to 2026, 2028, and 2030 and is modeled after a proposal in Texas, backed by Trump, to add five more seats for Republicans. 

CALIFORNIA GOP LAWMAKERS SUE AND STALL TO BLOCK NEW MAP FROM PASSING

Republican lawmakers in California have since filed a lawsuit seeking to delay a vote on the new maps and special election bills by at least 30 days.

California is the second most gerrymandered state. In 2024, Democrats won 59% of the presidential vote, leaving a 24-point gap between their overall state partisan advantage and their advantage in House seats.