Across the Chessboard
Texas, California, and the National Map War
Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of our 50501 CO newsletter!
In this newsletter we discuss the redistricting war taking place in Texas, California, and other states. In addition, you’ll find information on upcoming activities from the 50501 calendar, actions you can take outside of protesting, and also find out about additional ways to connect with us.
See you on the streets! ✊✊✊
Actions and Activities
(The below list contains details on all actions this week which have been submitted to our 50501 CO calendar; click the link above for more details and the full calendar)
All Cities
8/27: 6:00pm - 7:00pm - Team ENOUGH Welcome Session (For Young People Under 26) (Virtual)
8/31: 4:30pm - 5:30pm - COLORADO: Rapid Response for Our Freedoms (Virtual)
Aurora
8/25: 6:00pm - 8:00pm - Weekly ICE Protest (3130 N Oakland St, Aurora, CO 80010 - South side of the building)
Colorado Springs
9/1: 1:00pm - 3:00pm - Workers over Billionaires (Colorado Springs City Hall)
Denver
8/30: 1:00pm - Fox Takedown (100 E Speer Boulevard, Denver, CO 80203)
8/30 & 8/31: 6:00pm - Melt the Ice Camps (Coors Field)
9/1: 12:00pm - 4:00pm - Workers Over Billionaires (Colorado State Capitol)
Fort Collins
8/27: 6:00pm - Film Screening: The Encampments (The specific address will be provided upon RSVP)
9/1: 10:30am - 12:30pm - We're Over IT (College Ave. and Mulberry St)
9/1: 11:00am - 1:00pm - Worker's over Billionaires Fort Morgan Protest (Corner of Main St and Platte Ave/Hwy34)
Loveland
8/30: 9:00am - 11:00am - Stand Up, Loveland (N. Lincoln from Sprouts to Tesla)
Lyons
8/30: 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Saturday Weekly Protest (Freedom Triangle 3rd and Main)
Northglenn
8/27: 4:30pm - 6:00pm - Gabe Evans Protest (104 Ave I25 pedestrian overpass, 39 E 104th Ave, Northglenn, CO 80234)
8/29: 11:00am - 1:00pm - Protest at Gabe Evans' Northglenn Office (Northglenn District Office, 10701 Melody Dr, Northglenn, CO 80234)
Pueblo
8/26: 9:15am - 10:15am - Mock Funeral (503 N Main St)
8/30: 10:30am - 11:30am - Losing Our Democracy (Walgreens 4th & Abriendo)
8/30: 10:30am - 11:30am - Workers over billionaires (Corner of Abriendo & 4th St)
Salida
9/1: 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Workers Over Billionaires! (Hey 50 & Holman Ave)
Thornton
8/27: 6:00pm - 7:00pm - Thornton Westminster Northglenn Indivisible Meeting (Location is private. Please RSVP for full details.)
Windsor
8/30: 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Windsor Community Protest Hour (7th St and Main St)
Across the Chessboard: Texas, California, and the National Map War
Texas just made its move. The Republican-led legislature has unveiled a redistricting plan that, if enacted, could net the GOP as many as five additional congressional seats in 2026. On paper, it’s a state-level maneuver. In practice, it’s the opening gambit in a national map war—one designed to lock in power far beyond the Lone Star State’s borders.
This isn’t politics as usual. The timing and design of the Texas plan suggest something more coordinated: an attempt to ensure that Donald Trump’s Project 2025 allies maintain control of Congress, no matter what the voters want. The move echoes strategies used by authoritarian governments across the world—redraw the map, tilt the rules, and secure power before the opposition can mount a defense.
And in this war, other states are watching the board. California, for instance, has already floated countermeasures, hinting that if Texas gerrymanders, it might retool its own map to claw back seats for Democrats. Suddenly, we’re no longer talking about isolated state disputes. We’re talking about a coast-to-coast chess match where every piece in play represents the future of federal power.
The Stakes of the Game
When we talk about gerrymandering, it can sound like a dry procedural issue. Lines on a map. Legal briefs. Court challenges. But the impact is real and immediate:
It decides who holds power — A map drawn to favor one party can make it nearly impossible for the other to win, even with majority public support.
It shapes which issues get attention — Gerrymandered districts produce politicians who cater to extremes, not consensus, because their re-election depends on pleasing the base, not the middle.
It undermines faith in elections — When voters feel the game is rigged, they disengage. That’s not a bug of the system—it’s the point for those who draw the maps.
It locks in minority rule — A party can govern without majority support, passing laws that most people oppose, and still face little political risk.
These aren’t just side effects. They’re the very goals of the Texas map push.
A National Strategy Disguised as Local Politics
The genius—and the danger—of this moment lies in the fact that redistricting is a state power. Each state controls its own maps, but Congress is the prize. By stacking the deck in Texas, Republicans can tip the national balance. And if California, Illinois, or New York retaliate in kind, we get an arms race that reshapes the political battlefield for a decade.
Authoritarian-minded leaders have long understood that controlling the electoral map is one of the surest ways to control the future. In Weimar Germany, Nazi officials redrew local and regional jurisdictions to eliminate opposition strongholds. In modern-day Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s government has perfected the art of map manipulation to keep his party in power despite shrinking popular support. The playbook isn’t new. But watching it unfold in the United States should send a chill down our spines.
Where the Game Ends
The map war is not just about 2026. It’s about building a structural advantage that lasts long enough to cement the broader Project 2025 agenda—one that centralizes federal power in the executive, dismantles independent oversight, and makes meaningful opposition nearly impossible.
We need to understand this for what it is: not an administrative tweak to district lines, but a structural strike against democratic representation. Texas just moved its queen. California might counter with a rook. Other states will follow. But if we’re not careful, we could all wake up to find that the game has been decided long before Election Day.
This moment demands more than outrage. It demands attention. Because when democracy is attacked at the map level, the assault is almost invisible—until it’s far too late to redraw the lines.
Non-Protest Actions Bingo
The below bingo card contains a list of actions you can take (other than protesting) to help further the cause. If you get a bingo, tag us on social media to let us know!
1. Two Colorado State house representatives have proposed an amendment to the Colorado constitution which would allow the governor to suspend our state’s independent redistricting commission if “substantial evidence exists that one or more states have enacted congressional redistricting plans that result in severe partisan imbalance.” While the initiative wouldn’t be on the ballot until 2026 (and therefore wouldn’t change the congressional map until 2028 at the earliest), this would give our governor more tools in the fight against MAGA attempts to rig our nation’s electoral system.
2. Chalk art/messages are legal in almost all CO jurisdictions, but please check your local laws to confirm just in case.
3. The People’s Union has called for a boycott of the Amazon, Uber, and PepsiCo from September 1st - 31st. If you can’t manage a total blackout boycott, try to decrease your purchases of products and services from these 3 companies instead.
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