| Welcome to Bloomberg’s California Edition—covering all the events shaping one of the world’s biggest economies and its global influence. Join us each week as we put a unique lens on the Golden State. Sign up here if you’re not already on the list. California’s redistricting fight is a direct counterpunch to Texas’ new GOP-friendly voting maps. But it’s also stirring tension internally by lumping together counties that share little more than state lines. Take Marin and Modoc counties. A rural, Republican community more than 200 miles north of the Bay Area, Modoc doesn’t have a single traffic light. Deep-blue Marin, meanwhile, is overflowing with people, and ranks among California’s richest enclaves. If the redistricting plan passes, Modoc could soon be represented by Congressman and Marin County resident Jared Huffman. Modoc officials worry their distinct priorities would get drowned out by voters who live a world apart. California’s new congressional map proposal, backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, has ignited debate over how to protect democracy in the face of partisan hardball. Opponents of the measure argue that the state’s bipartisan map-drawing commission is worth defending, and that fairness can’t be abandoned when it becomes inconvenient. But supporters say it’s time for Democrats to match GOP tactics and give their party a fighting chance. “Redistricting might be a pox on all our houses, but then again, we don’t have a choice,” said Jason Overman, co-founder of Progress Public Affairs, a Bay Area consultancy. “Prop 50 could be the difference between having an election in 2028 or not.” —Maxwell Adler | 
