Former President Barack Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder released a video Thursday calling on supporters to back the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), warning that Republican-led redistricting efforts in states such as Texas, Florida, and Ohio threaten to undermine minority voting power and reshape congressional control ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Obama appeared in a video message posted on X alongside Holder to rally support for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), the group the two founded in 2017 to challenge GOP-led redistricting plans.
“I am here with my good friend, Attorney General Eric Holder, because we’re facing an existential threat to our democracy, and we need your help,” Obama stated in the video. He accused “extreme conservative politicians” of seeking to “slice and dice House districts” in states like Texas and Florida in order to “preserve their own power while diluting the voting power of communities of color.”
Obama also cited Ohio as an example, saying Republicans were “trying to give one party control over almost 90% of congressional seats,” and urged supporters to “help us meet this moment and preserve our democracy.”
The video was accompanied by a caption reading: “Republicans are trying to redraw congressional district lines to keep their grip on Congress in the midterms and beyond. Voters should pick their politicians, not the other way around. Get involved with @DemRedistrict as they fight back.”
The video comes amid an escalating national fight over redistricting. Earlier this month, Holder said on ABC’s This Week that President Donald Trump was leading an “authoritarian movement” to “rig” the 2026 midterm elections by pushing Texas Republicans to add new GOP-leaning congressional districts. Holder argued that the proposed map would insulate the White House from oversight and described the plan as a threat to democracy.
Additionally, Holder remarked to MSNBC that Texas Republicans’ redistricting proposals violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the political influence of Hispanic and Black voters. He pointed to census data showing that nearly all of Texas’s population growth was driven by Latino residents but claimed that the legislature instead added majority-white districts.
Obama has recently weighed in on the standoff. In mid-August, he joined a Zoom call to encourage Texas Democrats who had fled the state to prevent a quorum and stall the redistricting bill. The former president told lawmakers their walkout set the tone for a broader national battle and praised their “courage.”
The Texas plan, known as the “One Big Beautiful Map,” was signed into law Friday by Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The measure is expected to increase Republican representation in Congress by five seats. “Today, I signed the One Big Beautiful Map into law,” Abbott posted on social media. “This map ensures fairer representation in Congress.” The legislation cleared the Texas Senate on a party-line 18–11 vote after previously passing the House 88–52.
Democratic governors in states such as California, New York, and Illinois have pledged to counter Republican-led redistricting efforts. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has put forward his own plan to eliminate several GOP-held districts, which Obama praised as a “measured approach” earlier this month.
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