Dems’ California redistricting mastermind flips script after helping party win 5 GOP seats: ‘Kill’

Paul Mitchell, the architect of California’s Democratic-friendly congressional map, is calling for an end to partisan gerrymandering nationwide. He says the map was a temporary response to Republican-led redistricting in Texas, but argues that both parties should stop the cycle of partisan mapmaking.

California voters approved Proposition 50 in November 2025, replacing the state’s independent map through 2030; Democrats then flipped all five Republican-held seats targeted by the plan. Mitchell wants Congress to ban mid-decade redistricting and establish national standards, including independent commissions in every state. He says California should restore a fairer process when it redraws its districts in 2031.