Topline
Democrats are becoming more aggressive in countering redistricting efforts that favor Republicans—like the one slated for Texas that caused a mass exodus of Democrats over the weekend—as the party’s support for nonpartisan redistricting processes has put them at a disadvantage nationally.
Dozens of Democratic Texas lawmakers fled the state over the weekend to prevent the legislature from establishing a quorum, a move aimed at blocking a vote on a new congressional map that would give Republicans five additional seats in the House.
Texas is one of more than 20 Republican-controlled states where congressional maps are drawn by the state legislature, while large Democratic-controlled states use nonpartisan commissions to draw maps—giving Republicans an advantage and leading some Democrats to express a need for a more aggressive counterattack.
“I hope that blue states across the country see this as a signal flare and start carving up their own seats because Democrats have to stop trying to be the only adults in the room,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder told CNN on Monday.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who has advocated against gerrymandering as head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, has also called for a stronger retaliatory strategy, telling The New York Times “this midcycle redistricting ploy in Texas . . . is something that has to be met in the moment.”
Democratic lawmakers in other states have also threatened to take steps to redraw their congressional maps to favor Democrats in the wake of Texas’ decision: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has floated the possibility of a special election to usurp the state’s independent redistricting commission, while Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon introduced legislation to redistrict again if Texas or another state moves forward with redistricting before the next census.
- That’s the number of House seats independent commissions drew that would have otherwise been drawn by Democrats after the 2020 Census, compared to 13 that would have been drawn by Republicans, the Associated Press reported.
“This Democratic tit for tat redistricting seems like a port, but it’s not a port. It’s a jagged rock with a bunch of sirens on them,” Emily Eby French, director of the nonpartisan pro-democracy organization Common Cause Texas told the AP.
Democrats have also been accused of gerrymandering in some states where their party controls the legislature and there’s no independent commission responsible for congressional maps. Democrats have a 14-3 advantage in Illinois, they control all three House seats in New Mexico and three of four seats in Nevada.
The Texas legislature is scheduled to convene at 4 p.m. ET Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to remove from office the Democrats who fled the state if they don’t return by Monday afternoon, though it’s unclear if he has the authority to do so.
More than 50 state Democratic lawmakers left Texas on Sunday for Chicago, depriving the legislature of the 100-lawmaker minimum it needs to vote on legislation. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who helped organize the revolt, accused President Donald Trump on Sunday of “trying to cheat the system in Texas,” adding “these Democratic legislators refuse to let it happen without a fight.”
Democrats Have Few Tools To Counter G.O.P. Redistricting (The New York Times)
Eric Holder On Why He Reversed Course On Gerrymandering (The New York Times)
Democrats Desperately Look For A Redistricting Edge In California, New York And Maryland (Politico)