Former President Barack Obama gave his explicit blessing to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Prop. 50 redistricting measure, the governor revealed in an interview.
Newsom was “very nervous” calling Obama for advice last summer over Prop. 50 — which passed overwhelmingly in November and shuffled California’s congressional maps to favor Democrats in the midterms, he told Axios.
“I didn’t even get into the conversation and he says, ‘I just want to let you know I like what you’re saying and I hope you do this,’” Newsom recounted, referring to Prop. 50.
The conversation moved their relationship into “a different gear,” Newsom claimed.
He said the vote of confidence surprised him due to Obama’s mantra of “When they go low, we go high” during his presidency.
“[Obama] gave us the cover and the moral authority despite all of his work that he did around independent redistricting,” Newsom said.
“Because I’ll remind you that Prop. 50 was about fighting fire with fire.”
The two have frequently chatted and met at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s funeral, Newsom said.
Obama turned around and pointed at Newsom in a gesture seen as a stamp of approval for the California governor — who’s widely expected to launch a presidential bid.
Prop. 50, which was approved by 65% of California voters, was pitched as a response to a similar effort in Texas to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans.
The gerrymander could net Democrats five seats in the House of Representatives, according to political analysts — even spurring retirements from lawmakers like Rep. Darrell Issa, who threw in the towel rather than running in the redrawn CA-48.
Obama endorsed the measure in a social media shared by Newsom.
“Democracy is on the ballot Nov. 4,” Obama said in the video.
“Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the election, and wield unchecked power for two more years.”
