Pompeo, Christie Join Forces to Co-Chair GOP Redistricting Effort

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who have signed on to co-chair the National Republican Redistricting Trust, said Friday the organization just wants to be sure congressional district mapping is done fairly.

"We are going to lead a group that is going to provide the resources necessary for us to make sure that we get fair maps in all of these states across the country," Christie said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." 

A similar organization by Democrats, which is being run by former Attorney General Eric Holder "say in their mission statement they want maps that are favorable to Democrats," Christie said. 

"What our group is saying we just want a fair map, because we know if there is a fair constitutional map that Republicans will do very, very well in this country," Christie said. "We don't need to tilt it in our direction. But what we're not going to permit is the Obama/Holder group to go out there and to be gerrymandering across this country and suing their way to a Democratic House majority in 2022."

The organization is also providing legal assistance against Democrat-filed lawsuits, and GOP strategist Karl Rove is also coming into the group as a senior adviser, the Washington Examiner reported. 

Pompeo commented that there have been similar GOP organizations, but there were too many times "Republicans played victim."

"We didn't get on offense [but] we are for this," Pompeo said. "We know they are going to sue us. I think too many Republican leaders think if we're nice and play along, we will be able to figure this all out. Here's my wisdom to the state legislature: They are going to sue you. Go fight. Get narrow maps. That's what the Constitution requires."

There are only 13 months left before the 2022 election, which will be the "first time we get a chance to respond to the disaster that the Biden administration has been," Pompeo said. "Gov. Christie and I are going to make sure that the voters get a fair shot and they get good maps where the voters can."

Meanwhile, the two men are popping up on lists of potential candidates for the 2024 presidential race. Christie insisted that the focus is on the 2022 elections. 

"We need to provide leadership for the Republicans well before 2024," Christie said. "We need to get it going in 2022 and win back the House and the Senate, and we are going to work together to make sure on the House side it is fair."

NRRT Executive Director Adam Kincaid said Republicans such as Pompeo and Christie are necessary for the effort to fight back against the Democrats. 

"When Democrats don’t win at the ballot box, there is no legal strategy they won’t try in order to litigate their way into power,” he said in a statement. “We need Republicans like Secretary Pompeo and Gov. Christie who will defend our country and our party against the Democrats’ attempted nationwide judicial power grab.”

Rove said in a statement that the Democrats claim to oppose extreme partisan gerrymandering "but the truth is they support the far left rigging the maps to ensure Democratic control."

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