Jim Ross is a long-time Democratic campaign strategist who helped elect Gavin Newsom as San Francisco mayor. Tom Ross is an effective Republican strategist who helped elect Kevin McCarthy to the Legislature and Congress. Tom worked on the 2008 campaign that created California's independent redistricting commission, which he calls "the gold standard" for fair map-making and says needs protection. Jim supports Governor Newsom's plan to override the commission, seeking a gerrymander to improve Democratic chances in the 2026 House races and to prevent extended Republican political dominance. Despite sharp partisan differences, the brothers retain deep love and respect and refuse to let politics divide them.
Tom Ross has enjoyed similar success on the Republican side. He counts Kevin McCarthy's election to the Legislature and, later, Congress, among his wins. But perhaps his most important achievement, Tom Ross said, was working on the 2008 campaign that established California's independent redistricting commission - " the gold standard " for fair and impartial political map-making. "It needs protecting," he said.
No, said Jim Ross. It needs overriding. He backs Newsom's effort to undo the commission's work in favor of a gerrymander that could boost Democratic chances of winning the House in 2026 - or else, he fears, "there will be ongoing Republican domination of politics ... for decades to come."
"Tom's the best person I know. The best person I know," Jim, 57, said as his brother, 55, sat across from him at a local burrito joint, tearing up. "There's issues we could go round and round on, which we're not going to do." "Especially," said Tom, "with someone you care about and love."
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