Shane Goldmacher
@shanegoldmacher.bsky.social
New York Times national political correspondent
Fast forward to the current fight.
And Pelosi is player behind scenes and helping to raise big bucks for a fall ballot measure that has emerged as a legacy fight.
Read the full piece with Laurel Rosenhall
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
And Pelosi is player behind scenes and helping to raise big bucks for a fall ballot measure that has emerged as a legacy fight.
Read the full piece with Laurel Rosenhall
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Fast forward to the current fight.
And Pelosi is player behind scenes and helping to raise big bucks for a fall ballot measure that has emerged as a legacy fight.
Read the full piece with Laurel Rosenhall
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
And Pelosi is player behind scenes and helping to raise big bucks for a fall ballot measure that has emerged as a legacy fight.
Read the full piece with Laurel Rosenhall
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
But there was a gerrymandering backlash in CA.
Schwarzenegger got voters to approve an independent commission to draw maps. Pelosi pushed for a repeal.
He won. She lost.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Schwarzenegger got voters to approve an independent commission to draw maps. Pelosi pushed for a repeal.
He won. She lost.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
But there was a gerrymandering backlash in CA.
Schwarzenegger got voters to approve an independent commission to draw maps. Pelosi pushed for a repeal.
He won. She lost.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Schwarzenegger got voters to approve an independent commission to draw maps. Pelosi pushed for a repeal.
He won. She lost.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
The gerrymander was so effective that only ONE of CA's 53 seats flipped party hands — in a decade.
Soon after, Pelosi became whip. Then leader. Then speaker.
“Redistricting has always been in her blood,” says Brian Wolff, then a top Pelosi lieutenant.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Soon after, Pelosi became whip. Then leader. Then speaker.
“Redistricting has always been in her blood,” says Brian Wolff, then a top Pelosi lieutenant.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
The gerrymander was so effective that only ONE of CA's 53 seats flipped party hands — in a decade.
Soon after, Pelosi became whip. Then leader. Then speaker.
“Redistricting has always been in her blood,” says Brian Wolff, then a top Pelosi lieutenant.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Soon after, Pelosi became whip. Then leader. Then speaker.
“Redistricting has always been in her blood,” says Brian Wolff, then a top Pelosi lieutenant.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Tauscher would keep her seat. An agreement is struck for a bipartisan gerrymander, between WH (Rove) and CA Dems (Pelosi and Co).
WH avoided more Dem seats.
Pelosi got thankful incumbent CA Dems.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
WH avoided more Dem seats.
Pelosi got thankful incumbent CA Dems.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Tauscher would keep her seat. An agreement is struck for a bipartisan gerrymander, between WH (Rove) and CA Dems (Pelosi and Co).
WH avoided more Dem seats.
Pelosi got thankful incumbent CA Dems.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
WH avoided more Dem seats.
Pelosi got thankful incumbent CA Dems.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Her name is Rep. Ellen Tauscher — and she publicly accuses Pelosi of trying to erase her seat through an ally.
The man drawing the lines? None other than John Burton, long out of rehab and now the leader of the state Senate in Sacramento.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
The man drawing the lines? None other than John Burton, long out of rehab and now the leader of the state Senate in Sacramento.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Her name is Rep. Ellen Tauscher — and she publicly accuses Pelosi of trying to erase her seat through an ally.
The man drawing the lines? None other than John Burton, long out of rehab and now the leader of the state Senate in Sacramento.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
The man drawing the lines? None other than John Burton, long out of rehab and now the leader of the state Senate in Sacramento.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Fast forward to 2001. Another redistricting. Pelosi is a rising power in the House.
California is a key constituency for Pelosi in the Dem conference.
All but House Dem in state backs her in leadership race. So about that one member...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
California is a key constituency for Pelosi in the Dem conference.
All but House Dem in state backs her in leadership race. So about that one member...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Fast forward to 2001. Another redistricting. Pelosi is a rising power in the House.
California is a key constituency for Pelosi in the Dem conference.
All but House Dem in state backs her in leadership race. So about that one member...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
California is a key constituency for Pelosi in the Dem conference.
All but House Dem in state backs her in leadership race. So about that one member...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Or as Willie Brown, 91, the legendary SF politico who helped draw those 1981 lines as speaker of the State Assembly, told me one can see echoes in the current fight of “the legacy and the ghost of Phil Burton."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Or as Willie Brown, 91, the legendary SF politico who helped draw those 1981 lines as speaker of the State Assembly, told me one can see echoes in the current fight of “the legacy and the ghost of Phil Burton."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
In other words, Pelosi learned early and personally that district lines matter.
“She almost certainly would not have prevailed” without that remapping, said Marc Sandalow, a Pelosi biographer.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
“She almost certainly would not have prevailed” without that remapping, said Marc Sandalow, a Pelosi biographer.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
In other words, Pelosi learned early and personally that district lines matter.
“She almost certainly would not have prevailed” without that remapping, said Marc Sandalow, a Pelosi biographer.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
“She almost certainly would not have prevailed” without that remapping, said Marc Sandalow, a Pelosi biographer.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Nancy Pelosi was the establishment pick against Harry Britt, who would have been the first openly gay congressman.
Remember that 1981 remap? It carved OUT of Phil's seat some liberal parts of SF — including some of Castro.
Pelosi won by ~3,900 votes.
nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Remember that 1981 remap? It carved OUT of Phil's seat some liberal parts of SF — including some of Castro.
Pelosi won by ~3,900 votes.
nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Nancy Pelosi was the establishment pick against Harry Britt, who would have been the first openly gay congressman.
Remember that 1981 remap? It carved OUT of Phil's seat some liberal parts of SF — including some of Castro.
Pelosi won by ~3,900 votes.
nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Remember that 1981 remap? It carved OUT of Phil's seat some liberal parts of SF — including some of Castro.
Pelosi won by ~3,900 votes.
nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Well, that SF carve out ended up mattering a lot — for Nancy Pelosi.
Phil Burton died; his wife took his seat. Sala Burton died and said Pelosi should replace her.
A special election was held in 1987...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Phil Burton died; his wife took his seat. Sala Burton died and said Pelosi should replace her.
A special election was held in 1987...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Well, that SF carve out ended up mattering a lot — for Nancy Pelosi.
Phil Burton died; his wife took his seat. Sala Burton died and said Pelosi should replace her.
A special election was held in 1987...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Phil Burton died; his wife took his seat. Sala Burton died and said Pelosi should replace her.
A special election was held in 1987...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Anyway new the 6th district was a DOOZY.
Parts of SF, Marin, Sonoma AND Vallejo in the East Bay.
Hardly contiguous.
Except perhaps at "low tide," as the legend has Burton saying.
Dug up some old maps.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Parts of SF, Marin, Sonoma AND Vallejo in the East Bay.
Hardly contiguous.
Except perhaps at "low tide," as the legend has Burton saying.
Dug up some old maps.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Anyway new the 6th district was a DOOZY.
Parts of SF, Marin, Sonoma AND Vallejo in the East Bay.
Hardly contiguous.
Except perhaps at "low tide," as the legend has Burton saying.
Dug up some old maps.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Parts of SF, Marin, Sonoma AND Vallejo in the East Bay.
Hardly contiguous.
Except perhaps at "low tide," as the legend has Burton saying.
Dug up some old maps.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
So in 1981, Phil Burton was determined to expand the state's Dem majority and keep his brother John's seat safe.
He put some of SF's most liberal bastions (parts of Castro/Haight Ashbury) into John's seat.
John never ran. He checked into cocaine rehab.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
He put some of SF's most liberal bastions (parts of Castro/Haight Ashbury) into John's seat.
John never ran. He checked into cocaine rehab.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
So in 1981, Phil Burton was determined to expand the state's Dem majority and keep his brother John's seat safe.
He put some of SF's most liberal bastions (parts of Castro/Haight Ashbury) into John's seat.
John never ran. He checked into cocaine rehab.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
He put some of SF's most liberal bastions (parts of Castro/Haight Ashbury) into John's seat.
John never ran. He checked into cocaine rehab.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Let's start in 1981.
Then- Rep. Phil Burton (D-SF) is aggressively gerrymandering CA to help Democrats.
He twists and contorts lines so badly he calls it "my contribution to modern art."
The newly elected 41-year-old CA Dem Party chair: Nancy Pelosi.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Then- Rep. Phil Burton (D-SF) is aggressively gerrymandering CA to help Democrats.
He twists and contorts lines so badly he calls it "my contribution to modern art."
The newly elected 41-year-old CA Dem Party chair: Nancy Pelosi.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
How Nancy Pelosi Quietly Shaped California’s Redistricting Fight
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Let's start in 1981.
Then- Rep. Phil Burton (D-SF) is aggressively gerrymandering CA to help Democrats.
He twists and contorts lines so badly he calls it "my contribution to modern art."
The newly elected 41-year-old CA Dem Party chair: Nancy Pelosi.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Then- Rep. Phil Burton (D-SF) is aggressively gerrymandering CA to help Democrats.
He twists and contorts lines so badly he calls it "my contribution to modern art."
The newly elected 41-year-old CA Dem Party chair: Nancy Pelosi.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...
Some have dismissed registration as a lagging indicator in the past.
But in 2024 it proved prescient: Democratic weakness was concentrated where Trump was strongest, among men and younger voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
But in 2024 it proved prescient: Democratic weakness was concentrated where Trump was strongest, among men and younger voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
August 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Some have dismissed registration as a lagging indicator in the past.
But in 2024 it proved prescient: Democratic weakness was concentrated where Trump was strongest, among men and younger voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
But in 2024 it proved prescient: Democratic weakness was concentrated where Trump was strongest, among men and younger voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
In North Carolina, Republicans erased roughly 95 percent of the registration advantage that Democrats held in the fall of 2020 by this summer.
The Dem edge is less than 17,000 — down from nearly 400,000 in 2020.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
The Dem edge is less than 17,000 — down from nearly 400,000 in 2020.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis
www.nytimes.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
In North Carolina, Republicans erased roughly 95 percent of the registration advantage that Democrats held in the fall of 2020 by this summer.
The Dem edge is less than 17,000 — down from nearly 400,000 in 2020.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
The Dem edge is less than 17,000 — down from nearly 400,000 in 2020.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
In Pennsylvania, the quintessential battleground, Democrats had registration advantage of 517,310 among active voters in November 2020.
As of this summer: Only 53,303 voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
As of this summer: Only 53,303 voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis
www.nytimes.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
In Pennsylvania, the quintessential battleground, Democrats had registration advantage of 517,310 among active voters in November 2020.
As of this summer: Only 53,303 voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
As of this summer: Only 53,303 voters.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
By percentage, Democrats went from nearly an 11-point edge over GOP in 2020 to just over a 6-point edge in 2024.
Along the way, some states have flipped to GOP registration edge entirely.
Florida, of course.
But more big ones are likely coming...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
Along the way, some states have flipped to GOP registration edge entirely.
Florida, of course.
But more big ones are likely coming...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis
www.nytimes.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
By percentage, Democrats went from nearly an 11-point edge over GOP in 2020 to just over a 6-point edge in 2024.
Along the way, some states have flipped to GOP registration edge entirely.
Florida, of course.
But more big ones are likely coming...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
Along the way, some states have flipped to GOP registration edge entirely.
Florida, of course.
But more big ones are likely coming...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
30 states plus D.C. allow for partisan registration.
Between 2020 and 2024, Democrats lost 2.1 million voters in those states. GOP gained 2.4 million.
But those topline figures are just the start... nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
Between 2020 and 2024, Democrats lost 2.1 million voters in those states. GOP gained 2.4 million.
But those topline figures are just the start... nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
August 20, 2025 at 12:29 PM
30 states plus D.C. allow for partisan registration.
Between 2020 and 2024, Democrats lost 2.1 million voters in those states. GOP gained 2.4 million.
But those topline figures are just the start... nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
Between 2020 and 2024, Democrats lost 2.1 million voters in those states. GOP gained 2.4 million.
But those topline figures are just the start... nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
Though the offense is sad — we've only had a few games with the new full squad.
July 10, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Though the offense is sad — we've only had a few games with the new full squad.