The Era of Revenge Gerrymandering:
Ceding the Moral High Ground to Save Democracy
American democracy - government Of The People, By The People, For The People - thrives on passionate opposition. It relies on the push and pull of ideas put forth by legislators who’ve been fairly elected by their constituents to represent their local needs. It’s a messy, extraordinary system, and I generally love it.
Gerrymandering, conversely, is anti-democratic. It robs voters of their individual right to choose legislators who reflect their values, silences minority voices, and creates cynicism in our election process. For those reasons, I’ve been a vocal advocate for independently-drawn nonpartisan maps for the last decade. I’m someone who believes deeply in playing by the rules. In life – and in the game of politics - I respect competitive sportsmanship and admire those who’ve mastered the art of gracefully retreating from their losses.
Read more about how gerrymandering erodes the democratic process in my earlier article here:
But somewhere along the way, the Republican Party decided that the game rules of democracy weren’t their jam. They began to view the electoral system of our 250-year experiment as an inconvenient barrier to power. Why? Because, as our communities grew more inclusive, it became apparent that their stale policies weren’t going to fly much longer. Our shifting demographics signaled a limited shelf life for the patriarchal, white bread ways of their Grand Old Party. So, in anticipation of that eventuality, they decided to traitorously shred the system that our Founding Fathers put in place for us.
We’re at a Painful Crossroads
Our opponents have poured gasoline on the field, torched the stands, and rigged the scoreboard. They’ve stunned our senses and left our country in a state of disarray. To be blunt, things are looking rather bleak in the good ol’ US of A!
Given our dire circumstances, left-of-Trump patriots are done playing nice, with many asking what there is to gain by continuing to follow the rules. Would it be wrong - or RIGHTEOUS - to match punch for punch?
Here’s what I know to be true: Today’s Republicans aren’t playing for the right to legislate for the course of a term. They’re out to permanently destroy us, by any means possible, and they won’t be shaking our hands in the aftermath of our defeat!
Just as Mitch McConnell flaunted the Constitution to steal a Supreme Court seat, Governor Abbott – at Donald Trump’s urging – is in the process of flaunting the law to blatantly steal congressional seats in Texas.
Donald Trump thinks he’s “entitled” to rig the 2026 midterm elections, and MAGA Republicans are all in on the coup!
TX State House Dems are doing what they can - against the backdrop of arrest warrants and bomb threats (My god!) - to avoid complicity in a vote to seal that dirty deal. They’re risking everything to bravely hold the line, and it’s a truly inspiring thing to behold! Sane people coast-to-coast are proud to have their backs.
But this ugliness won’t end at the Texas state line! Republicans have made clear their plans to do the same in Ohio and elsewhere, with conversations already underway in Indiana, Missouri, South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Florida.
If there’s a seat to be stolen, they’re eyeing it!
It’s Time To Join The Battle
We cannot navigate our way out of this mess using polite voices and passive tactics. So, moral high ground, be damned! However uncomfortable it may be, we’re left no choice but to fight fire with fire!
If we value democracy, we mustn’t allow our authoritarian enemies to tread upon it! To salvage and preserve the freedoms afforded to us as American citizens, it’s time to adopt wartime rules and start digging trenches! LFG!!!
The Road Ahead
The Governors of New York and California, despite having independent redistricting commissions in place, are leading the call for what Isaiah Martin has dubbed “revenge gerrymandering.”
While independent, nonpartisan redistricting – a process that I’ve advocated for and still believe in - has taken root in several democratically-led states in recent years, Republicans haven’t demonstrated an interest in doing the same. As such, there’s little hope for a national moratorium on partisan gerrymandering under Trumpism. For states - like New York and California - that have already instituted the use of independent commissions, there would be hurdles to jump should they wish to redraw congressional maps mid-cycle. But Governors Hochul and Newsom are willing to explore their options.
Standing with TX State legislators, Gov. Hochul said,
“We’re sick and tired of being pushed around when other states don’t have the same aspirations that we always have. And I hold those dear. But I cannot ignore that the playing field has changed dramatically, and SHAME on us if we ignore that fact and cling tight to the vestiges of the past. That era is over — Donald Trump eliminated it forever!”
The times, they are a-changin.’
Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment. We want to hear from you!
Call To Action
If you are able, please support the TX Dems by donating to The Texas Majority PAC and/or Beto O’Rourke’s Powered By The People fund:
Countermandering is not equal to gerrymandering. Democrats have voted unanimously to end gerrymandering, and will do so again when they gain the power they rightly should have, but the republicans have stolen.
There is no choice! Democrats will have to redraw the lines within their own states.