Former President Barack Obama will officially step back into the political realm for the first time since leaving office in January when he attends a fundraiser on Thursday to help raise funds for the Democrats' efforts to draw new district lines.
Obama will be the main attraction at a small fundraising event being hosted by former Attorney General Eric Holder, who is leading the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, at a private home in Washington, D.C.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is also involved with the Democratic redistricting effort, will also be in attendance.
Obama and Holder have spoken about redistricting, which is focused on winning state legislative seats and court battles, numerous times, even before the former president left office.
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In 2016, Holder laid out the reason for the redistricting push, saying in an interview, “American voters deserve fair maps that represent our diverse communities — and we need a coordinated strategy to make that happen. This unprecedented new effort will ensure Democrats have a seat at the table to create fairer maps after 2020.”
The former president also released a statement on redistricting through his spokesperson, Kevin Lewis:
Restoring fairness to our democracy by advocating for fairer, more inclusive district maps around the country is a priority for President Obama. […] The President supports NDRC, Holder’s efforts to address unfair gerrymandering practices that leave too many American voters feeling voiceless in the electoral process.
This is the only political event on Obama's schedule in the near future as he continues to shy away from weighing in on too many political topics. He does, however, want to help balance out the "inequities" that he sees on political maps. As one top aide told The Chicago Tribune, Obama will be "supporting efforts that tackle the inequities of our current political system."
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