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CBS host presses former AG Eric Holder on defending partisan redistricting efforts in Virginia
By CJ Womack
Published April 20, 2026
Margaret Brennan pressed Eric Holder on Sunday over whether Democratic-backed redistricting efforts in Virginia amount to partisan "stacking the deck," as the former Barack Obama official defended the proposal as a response to Republican-led map drawing nationwide during an appearance on "Face the Nation."
"So by holding this referendum and changing the maps, how do you guarantee that this is temporary and that this doesn’t keep happening?" Brennan asked, after questioning how drawing maps along partisan lines is not simply "stacking the deck."
Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, framed the push as part of a broader effort to counter Republican gains in states such as Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri.
"This is really a national fight. It’s not a fight only about Virginia," Holder said. "What Virginia is doing, what California did is only in response to that which Republicans started in Texas."
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's SOTU rebuttal drew strong pushback from conservatives. (Photo by Mike Kropf/Getty Images)
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Brennan pointed to Virginia’s existing bipartisan redistricting commission, suggesting it already provided a fairer system and questioning why Democrats were seeking to alter it.
"In Virginia, there already was a bipartisan commission that was set up to do these things… that sounds fair," Brennan said.
Holder responded that the current proposal is limited in scope and tied directly to voter approval.
"The measure itself says that it is time-limited," Holder said. "It is only for this cycle, an additional cycle, and after the census that could be changed again."
Former President Barack Obama urged Virginians to vote "yes" in a redistricting measure, saying it would help "level the playing field," in a video message released as early voting began. (Barack Obama/X)
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Brennan further pressed whether the move signaled Democrats lacked confidence in winning under current conditions, noting historical midterm trends and political headwinds facing the president’s party.
"Why do Democrats need to do this? It sounds like it’s acknowledging that the Democratic Party can’t win on its own," Brennan said.
Holder rejected that characterization, framing the effort as a necessary countermeasure.
"The Democrats can certainly win if it’s a fair fight," Holder said. "It wasn’t going to be a fair fight nationally if you try to steal seats in Texas, in North Carolina, and in Missouri."
Brennan also cited Holder’s past statements opposing partisan gerrymandering, including warnings that it leads to governments that do not reflect voter preferences and contributes to political gridlock.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, is being criticized for signing a bill that critics say hands the state's electoral votes away. (Steve Helber/AP Photo; Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"If we don’t respond to that which they are trying to do, we could lose our democracy," Holder said. "And not have the ability to get back to that fairness fight."
Brennan also raised criticism from redistricting advocates, including concerns that proposed maps in Virginia could dilute Black political influence.
"What’s in this for us?" Brennan said, referencing criticism from the National Black Nonpartisan Redistricting Organization.
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"That’s simply untrue," Holder responded. "Do you think that another two years of unchecked Trump power is in the best interest of African-Americans in this nation? No."
"I hope we’ll pass federal legislation that will ban partisan gerrymandering just outright and do away with this altogether," Holder said.
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