Beto O'Rourke calls for Democrats to be 'ruthless' in pursuit of power, backs Newsom's gerrymandering proposal

Former Texas Senate candidate and failed 2020 Democratic presidential contender Beto O'Rourke called for Democrats to be "ruthless" in their pursuit of power and endorsed partisan gerrymandering.

"We have to get serious. We have to be absolutely ruthless about getting back in power. So, yes, in California, in Illinois, in New York, wherever we have the trifecta of power, we have to use that to its absolute extent," O'Rourke told CNN "State of the Union" host Jake Tapper.

In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed repealing a 2010 state law which vested the power to redraw congressional maps to a nonpartisan independent commission once every ten years and restore that function to the state legislature. Such a move, which would be difficult to pull off politically, could allow his state to establish congressional districts on a partisan basis. 

"Gov. Gavin Newsom has talked about redistricting in his state. I think it's time we matched fire with fire," O'Rourke said when asked if he supports Newsom's proposal. "Democrats in the past too often have been more concerned with being right than being in power. And we've seen the Republicans only care about being in power regardless of what is right."

"We can act holier than thou, we can sit on the sidelines, talk about the way the world should be. Or, we can recognize the existential nature that is this moment," Newsom said.

The independent commission's powers are enshrined in California state law, and Newsom will face an uphill battle in changing them. He has proposed two approaches toward subverting his state's constitution. One would be for the legislature to pass a law giving itself the power to redraw congressional maps mid-decade - a move that would likely be struck down by the courts - or to put a change to the Golden State's constitution up for referendum.