patrick.net

Grok: ## Conclusion
No, Gavin Newsom cannot legally call a special election in November 2025 to approve a new congressional map under current California law. The CCRC holds exclusive authority over redistricting, and mid-decade changes are prohibited absent a constitutional amendment, which requires legislative and voter approval—processes not indicated as underway by on July 31, 2025. Any attempt to proceed would likely be deemed illegal and face immediate court challenges, aligning with Jeremiah Watson's assertion. For Newsom to succeed, he would need to initiate an amendment process now, a complex and time-sensitive endeavor unlikely to align with a November 2025 election timeline.

Remember Gavin Newsom’s fierce plan to cobble together a heroic group of Blue States who’d wipe out their last remaining GOP districts to punish everyone for Texas’s gerrymandering? It’s not happening. ...

But the real political migraine turned out to be the unavoidable mathematics that, whenever you steal a handful of Democrat-voting neighborhoods from this side to water down a GOP district over there, you leave the first area blushing a bit redder— and suddenly its serenely safe incumbent starts sensing incipient myocarditis.

In other words, Democrats have a serious volunteer shortage. Nobody’s lining up to donate chunks of their safely blue turf for “the greater good.” ...

It turns out that when it comes to sharing the pain, Democrats suddenly become more defensive than a fat kid with the thickest slice of birthday cake.

Remember Gavin Newsom’s fierce plan to cobble together a heroic group of Blue States who’d wipe out their last remaining GOP districts to punish everyone for Texas’s gerrymandering? It’s not happening. ...

Leftist billionaire George Soros has pumped $10 million into Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s controversial ballot initiative to redraw California’s congressional maps.

The donation, the single largest contribution to the effort, comes as Newsom pushes Proposition 50, The New York Times reported Friday.

The anti-Trump measure that would overhaul California’s congressional lines in response to Republican-led redistricting in Texas and other states.

Two sources with direct knowledge confirmed Soros’s contribution to the Times.

The conservative justices on the Supreme Court appear poised to deal a fatal blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a law marred by significant flaws.

Such a move could spell doom for the Democrats, tipping the U.S. House heavily in favor of Republicans.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Wednesday in Louisiana v. Callais.

It appears that the court is leaning towards striking down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans “racial gerrymandering when it dilutes minority voting power.”

Gerrymandering is a frowned-upon but legal act except in this one specific exception, thanks to the Voting Rights Act.

It essentially creates a requirement that certain Congressional districts favor minority voters to “ensure representation.”

While the Left has framed this court battle as the Supreme Court ending minority representation, this is actually an opportunity for the Supreme Court to end a law that has overtly written racial preferences into American law.

Of course, the GOP has a lot to gain as this case could lead to significant redistricting efforts that could net Republicans over a dozen House seats.

Without Section 2, it’s estimated that 30% of the Congressional Black Caucus and 11% of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s seats could be wiped out.

Of course, the only reason these seats exist is because of an arbitrary and racist requirement that Congressional maps specifically carve out districts that would advantage minority candidates.