Texas ignited a gerrymandering war. We will all pay the price.

The Washington Post ^ | August 5, 2025 | David Daley

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Redistricting reform could die as it becomes another polarizing and partisan blood sport.

David Daley is author of “Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn’t Count” and “Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right’s 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections.”

The 2026 midterms might not be decided by tariffs, President Donald Trump’s approval ratings or even Sydney Sweeney’s divisive American Eagle ad — but by gerrymandering. Just a handful of seats separate the two parties, and first Republicans and now Democrats are angling for more before votes are cast.

Texas Republicans stand ready to adopt a new map that could award them as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House. Ohio, Missouri and other red states are prepared to go next. Democrats, meanwhile, might retaliate by redrawing lines in Illinois or even upending California’s independent commission. Lawmakers in blue New York, New Jersey and Maryland are weighing options as well.

It’s dangerous enough for fair elections and representation that the gerrymandering wars have reignited mid-decade with such dramatic consequences — especially since frustrated voters had success forming nonpartisan coalitions and winning reforms just a short time ago. This scourge could have been ended. Instead, the astonishing victories and hopes for fair representation could be extinguished as both parties race to claim every seat they can, and electoral reform becomes another polarizing, hyper-partisan blood sport.

Things looked completely different during the first Trump midterms, in 2018. Though today’s conventional wisdom suggests blue states enacted reforms and red states shattered norms, that’s not exactly right. That year, five states — purple Michigan and Colorado, along with red Missouri, Ohio and Utah — embraced redistricting reform designed to shift...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Gerrymandering is good when they do it.

[Freee-dame]

For too many years Democrats gerrymandered while Republican states took the “high road”. I hope Republicans fight back.

[Fledermaus]

Geez.

They are getting more unhinged by the minute.

[Jeff Chandler]

Texas law allows map rewrites mid‑decade.

California law does not.

[Bullish]

The WaPo doesn’t even understand the real issue here, or they’re just pretending to not understand in order to fire up the democrats.

I’m so sick and tired of these F’n idiots in journalism and media.

[Fledermaus]

How does this idiot author not get the fact the parties are only a few seats apart is BECAUSE of gerrymandering?

[ClearCase_guy]

Texas ignited a gerrymandering war.

Huh. A new thing? Did Texas just invent this practice? Those dastardly Republicans! [/s]

[chajin]

There has been a gerrymandering war for 60 years. One side was fighting, and the other side was surrendering. Now side B has decided to stop surrendering, and the world is going straight to hell.

IT’S ABOUT TIME.

[Bullish]

California has a bipartisan (supposedly), panel that takes up drawing the district maps. It is a panel that was brought about by an initiative put in by Arnold Schwartseneger and approved by the voters.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Over decades, the Democrat states have gerrymandered everything they possibly could.
They have already squeezed their state maps dry. Not possible to gain much at all.

[Racketeer]

The are the world’s best at projecting their very own behavior.

[odawg]

There won’t be a gerrymandering war. The democrat states are already tapped out.

[Frank Drebin]

Better get your smellin’ salts, David Daley. It’s going to get a helluva lot worse for you.

[Rummyfan]

If it’s a war, it was long overdue in coming and it needs to be fought. And won.

[ifinnegan]

Look at Ted Lieu’s district, CA 36.

https://advocacy.assets.support2.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CD36_Lieu.jpg

Note the gap.

Then look at Maxine Water’s district CA 43.

https://advocacy.assets.support2.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CD43_Waters.jpg

[Rummyfan]

David Daley is author of “Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn’t Count” and “Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right’s 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections.”

Hard to take this man seriously.

[paudio]

Democrats don’t want to do this war. They are going to lose today because they have been doing so much in the past that only few extra seats gained left. Republicans, however...

[Pollard]

Exactly.

“We will all pay the price” is the same as “our democracy” in that it refers to them only but they make it sound like they are everyone.

[DarrellZero]

The fact is I hate underhanded crap like gerrymandering.

But if the Dems are going to get away with it, we have to do it too.

To do otherwise is just being a doormat loser. Which was the case for far too long.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Explain it to us Davy. First of all, Texas didn’t start it, u aho. All the Blue states started it. Why don’t you research before you start spreading your Commie propaganda. Geez.

BTW: KMA lefty.