“Thousands of Californians have spoken, and their message is simple: Stop rigging, gerrymandering and disenfranchising,” Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, said. “Voters deserve to choose their leaders — not the other way around.”

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.