gerrymandering

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

New Texas Map Passes After Last-Minute Drama

Republicans blocked Democratic state senator's filibuster

(Newser) - The Texas Senate gave final approval to a new, Republican-leaning congressional voting map early Saturday, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. President Trump has pushed for the map to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. It has five new...

Johnson Promises to Block Redistricting in California

Speaker says he'll fight Democrats with everything Republicans have

(Newser) - House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday accused California Democrats of orchestrating an "illegal power grab" by redrawing their state's congressional map and pledged to marshal all available Republican resources to stop the plan in its tracks. "Democrats across the nation have played politics with redistricting for...

Texas Dems Return, Ending Redistricting Standoff

Lawmakers vow to keep fighting GOP's plans to redraw maps in Lone Star State, elsewhere

(Newser) - As promised , Texas Democrats who left the state to throw a wrench into their GOP colleagues' redistricting plans have returned to Austin. Politico reports that the Lone Star lawmakers have wrapped up their two-week impasse, meaning that Republicans now have enough legislators to pass the new map they're...

Texas Pushing Ahead With Redistricting Plans

Democrats in the state have signaled they will return

(Newser) - Texas Republicans on Monday aimed to resume pushing through redrawn US House district maps that would carve out a bigger GOP advantage in the 2026 midterm elections after state Democrats indicated they were ready to end a two-week walkout, the AP reports. In response, California Democrats are also moving ahead...

Arnold Weighs In on Newsom's Gerrymandering Fight

Ex-California governor Schwarzenegger isn't happy with redistricting plans from any corner

(Newser) - As Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push for redistricting in his state, trolling President Trump all the while, another big name out of California is pushing back on both Newsom and the Trump-backed GOP plan to do the same in Texas. "I'm getting ready for the gerrymandering battle,...

Newsom Threatens Texas With Redistricting Showdown

Plan could give Democrats a major edge in congressional seats in California

(Newser) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering a bold move to redraw the state's congressional map, setting the stage for a nationwide redistricting battle if Texas Republicans push forward with their own partisan plan . Newsom said Monday the redistricting plan is akin to "fighting fire with fire,"...

Democrats Successfully Halt Texas Redistricting

With most of them out of state, Texas House could not establish a quorum

(Newser) - Texas Democrats on Monday prevented their state's House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by President Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects.
  • After dozens of Democrats left the state , the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum
...

Illinois Governor Vows to Protect Texas Democrats

Lawmakers fled there to prevent a vote on new congressional maps

(Newser) - The Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to prevent a vote from taking place now face two potential unwanted scenarios: arrest and extradition back to their home state, and possible expulsion from the Texas House. Details:
  • The walkout: More than 50 Democrats left the state to prevent the GOP from being
...

SCOTUS Issues Ruling on Louisiana Election Map

Lower court called it an illegal racial gerrymander

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections in 2024 using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that has majority Black populations in two...

Wisconsin Governor Signs 'Fair Maps' Into Law

'We're a purple state, and I believe our maps should reflect that basic fact'

(Newser) - 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. Democrats hailed the signing as a major political victory in the swing state...

Ohio Supreme Court Says Nope to GOP's District Map

Justices ruled that GOP-drawn congressional district blueprint was gerrymandered

(Newser) - The Ohio Supreme Court rejected a new map of state congressional districts Friday as gerrymandered, sending the blueprint back for another try. In the 4-3 decision, justices returned the map to the powerful Ohio Redistricting Commission, or its map-drawing counterparts in the Legislature, and said they must assure the next...

Justice Department Sues Texas Over New Maps

Attorney general says redrawn districts discriminate against minorities

(Newser) - The Department of Justice sued Texas over new redistricting maps Monday, saying the plans discriminate against voters in the state’s booming Latino and Black populations, per the AP . The lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Texas, claims the state violates part of the Voting Rights Act. It is...

Supreme Court Won't Stop Gerrymandered Maps

Justices decide that federal judges can't play a role in voting maps drawn for partisan gain

(Newser) - A big decision on gerrymandering out of the Supreme Court on Thursday: The court ruled that federal courts have no role to play in policing political districts drawn for partisan gain, per the AP . The decision could embolden such newly drawn districts when state lawmakers undertake the next round of...

Big Ruling on Virginia Has Unusual Supreme Split

5-4 decision has liberals and conservatives on both sides of gerrymandering ruling

(Newser) - Virginians will elect members of the House of Delegates this year using a map seen as favorable to Democrats, according to a ruling Monday by the US Supreme Court. The political boundaries are important because Republicans currently control the House by a 51-49 margin, per the AP . Only four states...

Big Decision in Michigan Gerrymandering Case

Judges order state to redraw dozens of districts

(Newser) - Michigan must redraw dozens of congressional and legislative districts for the 2020 election because Republicans configured them to guarantee their political dominance over the last decade by unconstitutionally diluting the power of Democratic voters, federal judges ruled Thursday. In a 3-0 ruling—which will be appealed—the panel gave the...

'Fairness Formula' Could Redraw State's Voting Map

Missouri is using first-of-its-kind formula

(Newser) - The votes won't be cast for another four years, yet Democrats already appear likely to gain seats in Missouri's Republican-dominated Legislature in 2022. The reason: a one-of-its kind redistricting initiative approved by voters in the recent midterm elections. Missouri's initiative marks a new frontier in a growing...

N. Carolina May Need New Maps Before Midterms

Federal judges say the current ones were too heavily manipulated by Republicans

(Newser) - Federal judges on Monday affirmed their earlier decision striking North Carolina's congressional districts as unconstitutional because Republicans drew them with excessive partisanship, per the AP . Acting under an order of the US Supreme Court to re-examine the case, the three-judge panel ruled again in favor of election advocacy groups...

Supreme Court Just Punted on a Major Voting Issue

Justices sidestep big-picture ruling about gerrymandering

(Newser) - The Supreme Court has ruled on two gerrymandering cases from Wisconsin and Maryland—but without deciding on the broader issue of whether electoral maps can give an unfair advantage to a political party, the AP reports. The justices unanimously ruled against Wisconsin Democrats who challenged legislative districts that gave Republicans...

Court Decision Makes Dem House Takeover More Likely

The US Supreme Court and a federal panel rejected challenges to a new Pennsylvania congressional map

(Newser) - Boosting Democrats' chances of retaking control of Congress in this fall's midterm elections, the US Supreme Court and a federal panel on Monday rejected GOP challenges to a newly redrawn congressional map imposed on Pennsylvania by the state's high court. The courts dismissed requests to throw out or...

New Pa. Voting Map Could Affect Control of US House

It seems to boost Democrats' chances in newly drawn districts

(Newser) - Pennsylvania's high court issued a new congressional district map for the state's 2018 elections Monday, potentially giving Democrats a boost in their quest to capture control of the US House unless Republicans are able to stop it in federal court. The map of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser