Free Republic

The Supreme Court is considering a Louisiana redistricting case that could have a greater impact on U.S House of Representatives seats than the Texas and California "gerrymandering" maneuvers combined. The New York Times wrote, "Democrats would be in danger of losing around a dozen majority-minority districts across the South if the court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act." White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller tweeted, "How many people just realized that Dems had as many as 20 extra seats based on years of unconstitutional race-based gerrymandering?" For the purpose of "racial justice" under the Voting Rights...

One year ago, on a dark day for the Democratic party, 10 blue California counties flipped to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. This morning, beleaguered Democrats who have been locked out of power for a year may be feeling some resolve. California’s vote to redistrict its congressional maps in favor of the Democrats marks a strong rebuke to President Donald Trump and offers hope for the party ahead of the 2026 midterms. Elsewhere, Democrats saw a wave of wins in a clean sweep of off-year elections, including in two gubernatorial races and the New York City mayoral race....

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will hold a rally in Texas on Saturday opposing the state’s redistricting efforts alongside local Democratic lawmakers, days after Golden State voters backed a measure to redraw their own congressional districts. Texas was the first of several red states that followed President Trump’s directive to change their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Though some blue states considered redrawing their maps through the legislatures, Newsom elected to have voters choose if California should proceed with his plan. “California stepped up. Now, we are taking this fight across the country — helping Democrats in other...

Hours after California Gov. Gavin Newsom's Election Rigging Act passed (and while they're still counting ballots) the California Republican Party and 19 individual plaintiffs filed suit against Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber to invalidate the Proposition 50 maps, claiming that they violate the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution because they were drawn "based on race, specifically to favor Hispanic voters, without cause or evidence to justify it."

Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday launched a redistricting commission to consider whether to redraw the state's congressional lines ahead of next year's midterms, as other states redo their districts. The launch comes the same day that California voters are casting their ballots on whether the Golden State should participate in the redistricting movement. The resolution would redraw House districts to secure a greater Democratic advantage as retaliation for similar Republican efforts in states like Texas. The commission will be led by Maryland Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and will hold public hearings, solicit feedback and make recommendations to the...

In a landslide election, California voters approved Proposition 50, a ballot measure that reconfigures the state’s U.S. House map temporarily in a response to Republican gerrymandering efforts in other states. The approved measure will set the stage for a competitive midterm election next year as Democrats go head-to-head with Republicans in their battle to win back the House. The Associated Press called the race as soon as polls closed in California at 8 p.m. The special election attracted 7.2 million early voters as of Monday, according to the data from the California Secretary of State's office. AP wrote on its...

California voters are in the final days of a special election that could help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. The ballot measure, known as Proposition 50, would allow state lawmakers to temporarily redraw California’s congressional map — a move Democrats say could help them pick up additional seats in Congress. Jenny Holtermann, a fourth-generation farmer in California's Central Valley, said that under the proposed map, she would remain in a Republican district, but worries about the changes could affect her community. "It really is, it’s sad that they are really carving out those Republican areas...

Democratic politicians throughout California — those already in office and those who want in — assume that voters will rearrange the state’s 52 congressional districts next month and create new career opportunities. The assumption is well grounded. A recent CBS News poll found 62% of the state’s likely voters, driven by disdain for President Donald Trump, will enact Proposition 50, a plan to shift five more congressional seats to Democrats even though they already have 43. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gerrymander would offset pro-Republican redistricting schemes in Texas and other states that Trump seeks to retain, or perhaps expand, the GOP’s...

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been pressuring states to redistrict their maps to give the Democrats more seats. Maryland and Illinois won’t comply. Illinois Out of all the states, Jeffries targeted Illinois? Really? The Democrats outnumber the Republicans 14 to 3. The new map would make it 15-2. I guess one is better than nothing for these people. Also, Illinois is beyond corrupt, so it’s probably the party’s best bet. Jeffries met with the representatives “whose districts could be redrawn.” Blacks hold those four districts. Yes, it’s all about race. God forbid we make it about population size. Oh,...

Imagine if in the middle of a heated political contest one of the candidates is forced off the campaign trail. That would be big news right? And also very strange. But do you know what would be even stranger? If the country's primary outlet for reporting political news declines to explain the reason for such a candidate even needing to leaving the campaign trail or even the fact that she was being forced to cease campaigning.You really don't need much of an imagination to dream up such a seemingly implausible scenario because that is exactly what Politico is currently doing....

Many experts are forecasting the end of a key provision of election law — enabling Republicans to shore up their advantage in the House, according to a new report. Democratic voting rights groups are preparing for a nightmare scenario if the Supreme Court guts a key part of the landmark civil rights-era legislation, the Voting Rights Act — a very real possibility this term. Ahead of the court’s Oct. 15 rehearing of Louisiana v. Callais — a case that has major implications for the VRA — two voting rights groups are sounding the alarm, warning that eliminating Section 2, a...

Score another victory for President Donald Trump in the high-stakes political battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting. GOP Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri on Sunday signed into law a new congressional map, Missouri First, that is likely to hand Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of next year’s midterms elections. Missouri, once considered a swing state that has dramatically shifted to the right over the past decade and a half, is the latest battleground in the congressional redistricting showdown after the passage of new maps in GOP-dominated Texas and a redistricting push by...

One of the biggest progressive stars in American politics is throwing her support behind Proposition 50, which would redistrict California for congressional elections. Gov. Gavin Newsom released an ad Tuesday morning showing New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez forcefully backing the controversial proposal. “California, you know we don’t back down from a fight,” Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, says in the ad. “And this November, the fight belongs to you.” Newsom and California’s Democrats say the unprecedented measure is required to counter President Donald Trump’s nationwide plan to redraw districts in Republican-controlled states like Texas, Missouri and Ohio. “Donald Trump is...

Missouri House has just voted to redistrict from 6-2 GOP TO 7-1 GOP. Meanwhile Ohio, Florida, Indiana are getting ready to redistrict ending up r giving Republicans a near guaranteed majority in the House in 2026 even after a Newsom redistrict in California. And that's even before Louisiana and Kansas who are also considering redistricting. Louisiana would depend on SCOTUS revoking the VRA Act. Plus Democrats have already redistricted over years with 7 deep blue states having 0 Republican seats in the House in DC. Hakeem’s dreams of being Speaker are fast going down the drain

The redistricting wars are in full swing. Somewhat implausibly, Democrats claim they will match Republicans’ redistricting moves, as in Texas, with moves of their own that will cancel them out. But Democrats just have fewer places than the GOP to pull off these maneuvers and, even where they are in control of state government, are more likely to face institutional obstacles like nonpartisan commissions specifically designed to prevent gerrymandering. Therefore, the net results of these moves and counter-moves is likely to favor the GOP.How badly could all this hurt the Democrats in 2026? In all likelihood, not very. As Nate...

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe said Friday that he is calling Missouri lawmakers into a special session to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts as part of a growing national battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an edge in next year’s congressional elections. Kehoe made the announcement just hours after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a new congressional voting map designed to help Republicans gain five more seats in the 2026 midterm elections. It marked a win for President Donald Trump, who has been urging Republican-led states to reshape district lines to give the party a better shot...

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed into law a new congressional voting map designed to help Republicans gain more seats in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering a win for President Donald Trump and his desire to hold on to a slim GOP majority in the U.S. House.The Texas map drafted in rare mid-decade redistricting prompted fierce protests from Democrats and sparked a gerrymandering tug-of-war for voters in states across the country. “Texas is now more red in the United States Congress,” Abbott said in a video he posted on X of him signing the legislation.Before...

Catholic grade school attacked. At least 20 injured.

A judge on Monday ordered the Republican-dominated Utah legislature to redraw its congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms, after the body appeared to ignore safeguards voters put in place to ensure districts aren’t gerrymandered. The Congressional map, which was drawn in 2021, divided the Democratic Salt Lake County into the state's four districts, which diluted Democratic influence. The districts have since been won by Republican candidates, per the Associated Press. U.S. District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the maps need to be redone because state lawmakers ignored an independent commission that was established by voters to limit partisan...

Andy Hopper @AndyHopperTX The Texas House Republican caucus just voted against holding the Dems who fled accountable in any real way. This motion did NOT pass by the required majority.