CBS anchor Margaret Brennan pressed Eric Holder on Sunday on whether Democratic-backed redistricting efforts in Virginia are biased toward “stacking the deck” as the former Barack Obama official defended the proposal as a response to the nationwide Republican leadership map during an appearance on “Face the Nation.”
“So by holding this referendum and changing the map, how do you guarantee that it’s temporary and that it won’t keep happening?” Brennan asked, after questioning how drawing maps along partisan lines isn’t just “stacking the deck.”
Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, made the push as part of a broader effort to counter Republican gains in states like Texas, North Carolina and Missouri.
“This is truly a national fight. It’s not just a fight about Virginia,” Holder said. “What Virginia is doing, what California did, is only in response to what the Republicans started in Texas.”
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s rejection of the SOTU drew strong pushback from conservatives.
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Brennan pointed to Virginia’s existing bipartisan redistricting commission, saying it already provided a good system and questioned why Democrats were trying to change it.
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“In Virginia, there was already a bipartisan commission that was formed to do these things … that sounds reasonable,” Brennan said.
Holder responded that the current proposal is limited in scope and tied directly to voter approval.
“The measure itself says it’s time-limited,” Holder said. “It is only for this cycle, an additional cycle, and can be changed again after the census.”
Former President Barack Obama urged Virginians to vote “yes” on the redistricting measure, saying it would help “level the playing field” in a video message released as early voting opened.
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Brennan further stressed that the move indicates a lack of confidence that Democrats can win under the current circumstances, noting historical midterm trends and the political headwinds facing the president’s party.
“Why do Democrats need to do this? It seems like the Democratic Party is admitting that it can’t win on its own,” Brennan said.
Holder rejected that characterization, framing the effort as a necessary countermeasure.
“If it’s a fair fight, the Democrats can certainly win,” Holder said. “It wouldn’t be a fair fight nationally if you tried to steal seats in Texas, North Carolina and Missouri.”
Brennan also cited Holder’s past statements opposing partisan gerrymandering, including warnings that it leads to governments that do not reflect voter preferences and contribute to political gridlock.
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“If we don’t respond to what they’re trying to do, we could lose our democracy,” Holder said. “And that doesn’t have the ability to return to a fair fight.”
Brennan also drew criticism from redistricting advocates, including concerns that the proposed map in Virginia could weaken black political influence.
“What’s in it for us?” Brennan said, referring to criticism from the National Black Nonpartisan Redistricting Organization.
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“That’s simply untrue,” Holder replied. “Do you think another two years of Trump’s unchecked power is in the best interest of African-Americans in this nation? No.”
“I hope we will pass federal legislation that will outright ban partisan gerrymandering and eliminate it altogether,” Holder said.
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Original article source: CBS host presses former AG Eric Holder to defend partisan redistricting efforts in Virginia
