Holder: Obama preparing to get back into political spotlight

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Democrats search for ways to regain political influence

Strategy Room: Jeanne Zaino and Flip Pidot debate how Democrats are trying to change the map

Former President Obama is getting ready to jump back into the political pool, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.

Holder said he has been talking with Obama about different ways to help the new National Democratic Redistricting Committee, according to Politico. Obama asked Holder to be chairman of the group last year.

“He's ready to roll,” Holder told reporters at a briefing.

Obama and other top Democrats are focusing efforts on state-level races and ending the reconfiguring of voting districts through the politically-laded process known as gerrymandering – a combined effort to end “Trump-ism” and help their party regain control of Congress and legislatures across the country.

Politico reported that the group seeks to direct resources into winning certain state elections, push ballot initiatives for nonpartisan district-drawing commissions and wage legal wars to existing maps.

By accomplishing their goals, the group hopes it would put Democrats at a better advantage in state legislatures and the House of Representatives.

Obama indicated before leaving the White House last fall that his short-term, post-presidency focus will be on General Assembly races and redistricting after the 2020 Census. Voting districts are redrawn after a federal Census to reflect the changes in population and other demographic. Much of the redistricting across the country is done by the political party that controls the state legislature.

Marc Elias, a top election lawyer advising the group, said they expect states to file new lawsuits to change the districting maps and are guiding states on where they could see legal victories.

Holder said the fight will be more difficult with Jeff Sessions running the Justice Department. He added that the decision to throw out a challenge to voter laws in Texas was “disheartening.”

“This is really a battle for our democracy,” Holder said. “The notion that people are denied their ability to cast a meaningful vote … is inconsistent with who we say we are, inconsistent with what we say our democracy is about.”

Fox News’ Joseph Weber contributed to this report.

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