Republicans Set to Best Democrats in Mid-Decade Redistricting War
Both major U.S. political parties have engaged in aggressive mid-decade redistricting efforts, with recent moves in states like Florida and Virginia drawing national attention. Republicans appear poised to gain a significant advantage heading into the 2022 midterm elections, especially after the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais limited race-based redistricting. Legal challenges and pending map approvals in key states could further shift the balance of congressional representation.
- ▪Texas initiated the latest round of redistricting in July, prompting similar actions in Missouri, North Carolina, and other states.
- ▪Florida's newly passed Republican-led redistricting map, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is expected to give the GOP four additional congressional seats.
- ▪Virginia's Democratic-favoring ballot referendum map was narrowly approved but is currently blocked by court order due to ongoing legal challenges.
- ▪The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing congressional districts under the Voting Rights Act.
- ▪California's new Democratic-leaning map may provide a larger partisan advantage than Texas's GOP-drawn map, despite criticism of Republican gerrymandering.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
By Josh HammerNewsweek senior editor-at-large and host, "The Josh Hammer Show"ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.For almost a year now, America’s two parties have been engaged in a mass congressional redistricting battle royale.The fun kicked off in Texas last July, when Gov. Greg Abbott, following President Trump’s urging, first pushed the Texas Legislature to redistrict the Lone Star State’s congressional maps in a pro-Republican direction. Missouri and North Carolina soon followed, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to get in on the action: Golden State voters approved the use of a new map at the ballot box last November.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Newsweek.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Newsweek
