'Ruthlessly focused': Ex-congressman calls on Democrats to gerrymander GOP out of power

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) said Tuesday Democrats need to focus on winning power instead of "being right."

“Democrats care more about being right than being in power. We have to change that. We have to be ruthlessly focused on winning power," the former Texas lawmaker said while speaking at an event organized by the Center for American Progress Tuesday.

O’Rourke joined a growing faction of Democrats urging California to create additional congressional districts in their favor before the midterm elections.

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The former Texas gubernatorial candidate, who is considering running for a Texas Senate seat in 2026, suggested that Democrats could “squeeze out” additional congressional seats in states like “Illinois or New York or anything that Democrats hold unitary power.”

His remarks, as highlighted by Politico, followed Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) move Monday to convene a special legislative session to redraw district lines ahead of schedule. The move is aimed at limiting Democratic chances to retake Congress in 2026, as part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to maintain the narrow Republican majority.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has threatened to undertake his own redistricting initiative to counteract any Republican gains in Texas.

Politico pointed out that it remains uncertain how practical Newsom’s plan might be, since California uses an independent redistricting commission aimed at preventing partisan gerrymandering.

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In his comments Tuesday, O’Rourke declared: “Not only do I think he should do this, I don’t think he should wait for Texas,” alluding to a potential 2026 Senate run in Texas.

He continued: “Why the f--- are we responding and reacting to the other side instead of taking offense on these things?”

“In the event that new districts are drawn, they will be drawn at the expense of existing Republican-majority districts. They will have to bleed out some Republican voters to make these other districts more competitive,” he added.