1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I saw that you have stated Oregon will not follow California’s model and respond to red-state gerrymandering in kind. I am writing to ask you to reconsider. Crack ‘n Pack is wrong, but Newsom’s approach is a sound one, letting voters decide whether to pursue it and setting it up so that it only takes effect if red states cheat. I know we’re a small, already very blue state and could contribute only one new blue seat to the cause, but by working together, the blue states might stop or slow this particular form of Republican voter-swindling. Even President Obama has come out in favor of Newsom’s plan, saying today, “Over the long term, we shouldn’t have political gerrymandering in America, just a fair fight between Republicans and Democrats based on who’s got better ideas. But since Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House and gerrymandering in the middle of a decade to try and maintain the House despite their unpopular policies, I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this. He’s put forward a smart, measured approach in California, designed to address a very particular problem at a very particular moment in time.” Thank you, Governor Kotek.