Redistricting architect shares thoughts on CA, TX political battle

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The United States is in uncharted election waters as Texas moves to gerrymander their Congressional maps for Republicans to hold on to the House in the midterms.

Now, California has taken off the gloves to run the same play and the architect running the California maps redistricting says he never thought the two states would get here.  

“It was kind of a bluff and there has been a lot of really good reporting since this Prop 50 started that the real reason that this started was to try to push back on Texas and to try to get them to stand down on their redistricting efforts,” said Paul Mitchell from Redistricting Partners.

Texas was not bluffing, and President Trump’s demands of creating five new congressional Republican districts by way of gerrymandering became a Texas reality. Mitchell says he’s normally trying his best to create nonpartisan maps, but in this case his orders were clear: gerrymander five California districts to offset Texas' gerrymandering.

“These midterm redistricting efforts are really unprecedented and the scale of them is unprecedented, the fact that they are being driven by the White House is unprecedented,” Mitchell said.

FOX 5/KUSI spoke with targeted Republican Congressman Darrel Issa, shortly after the Prop 50 was passed which will now be decided by voters. He says gerrymandering has been a part of elections for generations and he will hit the campaign trail with everything he has.

“I’ll run wherever I live I aways have and I’ll run for reelection and presume that the voters will decide whether I’m the right person,” said Darrell Issa, Congressman from the 48th District.

Mitchell says while he could gerrymander every district in California to give the Golden State 52 Democratic seats, his orders are only for five districts, specifically balancing out Texas.

“To do a map that is kind of pushing back on Texas is new for me, and it's something I’ve never been put in a position to do, although it’s something also that if you are a professional in this field, you know how its done and how to do it,” Mitchell said.