Gerrymandering

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N.C. Supreme Court rules it can't weigh in on partisan gerrymandering

North Carolina's Republican-controlled Supreme Court on Friday changed course on three of its own recent major voting rights decisions — notably ruling in one of the cases that it has no authority to strike down political districts drawn by the legislature, even in cases of political gerrymandering.

https://www.axios.com/2023/04/28/north-carolina-supreme-court-gerrymandering

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Clyburn’s Role in South Carolina Redistricting May Be Examined as Supreme Court Hears Racial Gerrymandering Case

The NAACP successfully challenged the state’s new congressional maps as racially motivated. Republicans argued that they fielded requests from the powerful Black Democrat before redrawing district lines.

https://www.propublica.org/article/james-clyburn-south-carolina-gerrymander-redistricting-scotus?

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Wisconsin’s Republicans Went to Extremes in Gerrymandering. Now They’re Scrambling to Protect That Power.

Heavily redrawn election districts in the battleground state gave Republicans firm control of the legislature — and the leeway to move aggressively against officials and judges they perceive as threats.

https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-gop-gerrymander-elections-janet-protasiewicz?

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North Carolina GOP Hides Redistricting Process From State Public Records Law

The change, snuck into the state budget at the last minute, will shield lawmakers from scrutiny in a state with a history of partisan gerrymandering.

https://theintercept.com/2023/09/22/north-carolina-redistricting-public-records/?

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Democratic Rep. Clyburn’s Role in Redrawn Congressional Maps Becomes Key in Supreme Court Redistricting Case

Democratic Rep. James Clyburn’s role in South Carolina’s 2022 redistricting has emerged as a central point of contention between Democrats and Republicans in a racial gerrymandering case to be argued before the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

https://www.propublica.org/article/clyburn-redistricting-supreme-court-south-carolina?

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The GOP’s Secret to Protecting Gerrymandered Electoral Maps? Claim Privilege.

Through new and expansive assertions of privilege, Republican legislatures around the country are shielding their work on allegedly discriminatory voting maps to prevent the public from finding out how and why they made their decisions.

https://www.propublica.org/article/electoral-maps-gerrymandering-texas-voting-elections-privilege?

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✏️ Split decisions in the 2024 redistricting wars

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

The battle for the House majority could come down to which party wins more court battles allowing partisans to draw congressional maps in their favor. This week, Republicans were able to redraw the political map in North Carolina to maximize their power — but faced a legal setback in Georgia that could allow Democrats to gain a House seat. Why it matters: The Republican gerrymander in North Carolina, if not overturned by a court challenge, will likely oust three of the most moderate Democrats from the House — Reps. Kathy Manning, Jeff Jackson and Wiley Nickel, further polarizing the lower chamber. Go deeper: A newly drawn Georgia map would be required to draw a majority Black district in the west Atlanta suburbs. Georgia is likely to appeal the ruling. Zoom out: Democrats have won redistricting battles in Alabama and Louisiana, paving the way for them to pick up an additional seat apiece in the two deep South states. The biggest test will be in New York, where the state's highest court will soon decide whether a new map will be drawn. The court overturned a gerrymandered map drawn by state Democratic lawmakers last year, but the composition of the court is now more favorable to liberals. A favorable decision in New York could net Democrats several additional seats, offsetting their losses in North Carolina. The bottom line: The battle for House control typically takes place on the campaign trail. In 2024, the majority could be decided in court.

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Ahead of oral arguments, state’s lawyers compare North FL Black-access district to apartheid

Brief cites ‘uncomfortable resemblance’ to old South African regime

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/30/ahead-of-oral-arguments-states-lawyers-compare-north-fl-black-access-district-to-apartheid/?

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New York’s high court hears redistricting case, as Democrats angle to retake US House

New York’s highest court heard arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit that could reshape congressional districts in the state, which is expected to be a key battleground next year in the fight for control of the U.S. House.

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-congress-redistricting-a4dbb5e5947fa4fdfeb7093a84559f75?

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Wisconsin’s Legislative Maps Are Bizarre, but Are They Illegal?

Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case has garnered national attention. But a little-explored aspect of the suit — the pervasive presence of “Swiss cheese” districts — could have huge ramifications for the outcome.

https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-legislative-maps-bizarre-are-they-illegal?

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Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case and the fight for democracy

Tuesday was a historic day in Wisconsin. As the state Supreme Court took up a long-awaited gerrymandering case, the Capitol was filled with a cacophonous din. In the rotunda, big screens broadcast the oral arguments from inside the Supreme Court chamber at high volume for public viewing. Simultaneously, on the other side of the marble hall, fair maps advocates held a rally in front of a gaggle of TV news cameras.

https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/11/22/wisconsins-gerrymandering-case-and-the-fight-for-democracy/?

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Florida court’s redistricting decision muddies waters for 2024 election

A new Black congressional district in North Florida in 2024 is looking less likely after a state appeals court sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting maps, whether or not the state Supreme Court ever hears the case, experts said Monday.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/12/05/florida-appeal-courts-redistricting-decision-muddies-waters-for-2024-election/?

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New York’s high court orders new congressional maps as Democrats move to retake control of US House

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections, giving Democrats a potential advantage in what is expected to be a battleground for control of the U.S. House.

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-congress-redistricting-2024-election-9f738ecfa858e47261552cd9b18e7347?

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✏️ New York's new map

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios

The New York State Court of Appeals today directed the state's independent redistricting commission to redraw New York's legislative maps ahead of the 2024 election, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: The ruling could blunt Republicans' strength in a state that was the cornerstone of their 2022 win and will likely be pivotal for control of the House. "HELL YES," one Democratic strategist told Axios in a text reacting to the ruling, which directs the redistricting commission to propose new state and congressional district lines by Feb. 28. The state legislature, controlled by Democrats, will ultimately have the power to approve the maps. The backdrop: After the redistricting commission failed to come to an agreement on maps last cycle, the state legislature attempted to gerrymander the lines significantly in its favor. Democrats' plans were undone when the Court of Appeals ordered a state-appointed mapmaker to redraw the lines. The court-drawn lines, combined with the unusual strength of GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, helped Republicans flip three seats. What they're saying: DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) called the ruling a "win for democracy" and said Democrats are "eager for the Independent Redistricting Commission to get back to work to create a new, fair congressional map." NRCC spokesperson Savannah Viar said they were "disappointed but not surprised" by the ruling, accusing Democrats of "trying to cheat their way to power."

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Federal judge accepts redrawn Georgia congressional and legislative districts that will favor GOP

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday accepted new Georgia congressional and legislative voting districts that protect Republican partisan advantages, saying the creation of new majority-Black voting districts solved the illegal minority vote dilution that led him to order maps to be redrawn.

https://apnews.com/article/georgia-redistricting-maps-approved-a5ccc16a870601d9df15d14e8ba15767?

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GOP lawmakers ask Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider redistricting ruling, schedule for new maps

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican lawmakers have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to stay and reconsider its finding that the state’s legislative district boundaries are unconstitutional.

https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-redistricting-new-maps-supreme-court-e7afd830b598dc7d82a133602f3e85a7?

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Wisconsin’s Democratic governor signs his new legislative maps into law after Republicans pass them

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative district maps into law on Monday that he proposed and that the Republicans who control the Legislature passed to avoid having the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court draw the lines.

https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-redistricting-republican-democrat-9c2677a09e48152df323fbf5c55611ef?

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Wisconsin’s Republicans Went to Extremes in Gerrymandering. Now They’re Scrambling to Protect That Power.

In the northwest corner of Wisconsin, the 73rd Assembly District used to be shaped like a mostly rectangular blob. Then, last year, a new map drawn by Republican lawmakers took effect, and some locals joked that it looked a lot like a Tyrannosaurus rex.

https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-gop-gerrymander-elections-janet-protasiewicz?

The GOP’s Secret to Protecting Gerrymandered Electoral Maps? Claim Privilege.

Eva Bonilla grows furious when she thinks about how Latino voters are treated by the Republican power structure in Texas. At 74, the small business owner watched the GOP Legislature pass a series of measures like a voter ID law that she felt would make it harder for Latinos to cast ballots or run for public office.

https://www.propublica.org/article/electoral-maps-gerrymandering-texas-voting-elections-privilege?

The Failed Promise of Independent Election Mapmaking

Washington state’s mapmakers had been working for almost a year to draw the lines that would shape the state’s elections for the next decade. Now they had five hours until the midnight deadline and they’d made little progress.

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-failed-promise-of-independent-election-mapmaking?

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As Elections Loom, Congressional Maps Challenged as Discriminatory Will Remain in Place

With the Republicans holding just a two-vote majority in the House of Representatives, voters will go to the polls in November in at least two congressional districts that have been challenged as discriminatory against people of color.

https://www.propublica.org/article/elections-district-maps-deemed-discriminatory-south-carolina-florida?

The Failed Promise of Independent Election Mapmaking

Washington state’s mapmakers had been working for almost a year to draw the lines that would shape the state’s elections for the next decade. Now they had five hours until the midnight deadline and they’d made little progress.

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-failed-promise-of-independent-election-mapmaking?

The GOP’s Secret to Protecting Gerrymandered Electoral Maps? Claim Privilege.

Eva Bonilla grows furious when she thinks about how Latino voters are treated by the Republican power structure in Texas. At 74, the small business owner watched the GOP Legislature pass a series of measures like a voter ID law that she felt would make it harder for Latinos to cast ballots or run for public office.

https://www.propublica.org/article/electoral-maps-gerrymandering-texas-voting-elections-privilege?

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How the Right Is Taking Over State Courts With Judicial Gerrymandering

In the nearly two years since the Supreme Court sent abortion rights back to the states in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, state courts have become a hotbed of battles to criminalize, legalize, or expand access to abortion care.

https://theintercept.com/2024/04/02/state-courts-judicial-gerrymandering-voting/?

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Gerrymandering

For nearly two weeks, Texas Democrats have stymied Republicans’ attempts to redraw the state’s congressional districts in the middle of the decade by remaining out of state. The GOP’s proposed map could potentially eliminate five Democratic US House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. But on Thursday, the Democratic lawmakers signaled their intention to end the redistricting standoff and return to Austin. In a news release, the Democrats said they would return if Republicans adjourn the special legislative session currently underway — and if California Democrats introduce a new congressional map that would offset the five seats Republicans want to flip in Texas. California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded by formally launching the state's redistricting effort. Republicans in Texas are expected to adjourn the current special session today if a quorum isn’t met. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to immediately call for a new special session to convene the same day.

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Texas Redistricting Effort

Dozens of Texas Democrats returned to Austin yesterday after a two-week walkout to block Republican-led redistricting efforts. Their return gives the Texas House the attendance needed to vote on a congressional map designed to shift five districts from Democratic to Republican ahead of the 2026 elections.    Gov. Greg Abbott (R) reconvened lawmakers this week, with redistricting a top priority. Civil arrest warrants remain in effect for Democrats who left in early August (see previous write-up), and Republicans have already taken procedural steps to bring the maps back to the House floor for a vote. Meanwhile, California Democrats are advancing a redistricting proposal intended to send five more California Democrats to Washington, effectively offsetting potential Republican gains in Texas.   Redistricting typically occurs at the beginning of each decade to coincide with the census; Texas last redrew its map in 2021 after the 2020 census. Visualize how Texas’ proposed mid-decade changes could reshape its political landscape and the midterms here.

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? Scoop: Newsom sees big backing for new districts

Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid to redraw California's congressional seats to create more Democrat-friendly districts has a 22-point advantage in support among the state's voters, Newsom's longtime pollster writes in an internal memo obtained by Axios' Alex Thompson.

• Why it matters: Democrats likely would gain several California seats in the 2026 midterms — and boost their odds of winning back control of the House — if voters in the liberal state pass the measure, which is a response to Republican efforts to gain seats by redistricting in Texas.

? By the numbers: David Binder, a prominent Democratic pollster who has long worked for Newsom, found that 57% of California voters backed the redistricting measure, while 35% opposed and 8% were undecided.

• Voters' support appears to have increased as they've learned more about the measure, Binder said: A July survey had found that 51% favored Newsom's redistricting push.

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Live updates: Texas GOP poised to vote on new gerrymandered district map

The first domino in a growing national redistricting battle is likely to fall Wednesday as the Republican-controlled Texas legislature is expected to pass a new congressional map creating five new winnable seats for the GOP. Read more.   Texas’ Republican-controlled House approves new maps to create more winnable GOP congressional seats August 20, 2025 The approval by the Texas House of Representatives came at the urging of President Donald Trump, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps to give his party a better chance at holding onto the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s election. The maps need to be approved by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott before they become official. Read more

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California Gov. Newsom signs legislation calling special election on redrawn congressional map

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — California voters will decide in November whether to approve a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more U.S. House seats next year, after Texas Republicans advanced their own redrawn map to pad their House majority by the same number of seats at President Donald Trump’s urging.

https://apnews.com/article/california-texas-redistricting-congressional-map-4c22e21d5d4022d33a257045693b6fd4?

? Newsom punches back

California voters will decide in November whether to approve a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more House seats next year. (AP)

• Why it matters: Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) push to redo the state's districts is the latest step in a tit-for-tat gerrymandering battle with Texas Republicans, who are redrawing their state's map at President Trump's urging.

California lawmakers voted mostly along party lines yesterday to approve legislation calling for the special election. Newsom then quickly signed it.

• "This is not something six weeks ago that I ever imagined that I'd be doing," Newsom said.

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