California redistricting commission defends new state maps
2 years, 11 months ago

California redistricting commission defends new state maps

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Members of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission defended their months of sometimes chaotic work Monday as they handed off the completed maps that, barring successful court challenges, will govern congressional and legislative elections for the next 10 years. The maps they formally presented to California’s top elections official, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, form new jigsaw puzzles for 52 congressional districts, 40 state Senate districts, 80 Assembly districts and four Board of Equalization districts. Commissioners scrambled to tweak draft maps during about 150 live public meetings, backtracked in some cases from complaints that draft maps would split cities or communities of interest, or jousted over one later withdrawn congressional district that one expert dubbed the “ribbon of shame.” “Just because a district looks kind of complicated does not mean it’s gerrymandered,” said Russell Yee, a Republican and the commission’s vice-chairman. “Often it’s the most fair, especially given California’s complicated geography, demography.” Sometimes new draft maps weren’t posted online for days, complicating efforts to parse the changes. This year’s effort, despite criticism, “put the California public in the driver’s seat,” he said, though the groups promised to seek improvements for the 2031 commission.

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History of this topic

Gerrymandering in 2024: How "deeply steered" districts benefit Republicans
2 months ago

Gerrymandering in 2024: How "deeply steered" districts benefit Republicans

Salon  

In 1999, there were 164 House districts where election results were within five points of the national popular vote. The problem, for Democrats, is that two states where they likely had the best opportunity to pick up seats via redistricting, New York and California, have laws preventing them from doing so. Alabama and Louisiana were ordered by a court to …

A federal court approves new Michigan state Senate seats for Detroit-area districts
4 months, 4 weeks ago

A federal court approves new Michigan state Senate seats for Detroit-area districts

Associated Press  

Lansing — Federal judges gave final approval to a new map of Michigan state Legislature boundaries, concluding a case in which the court previously found that several Detroit-area districts’ maps were illegally influenced by race. In December, the court ordered a redistricting commission responsible for redrawing the state’s legislative and congressional maps in 2021 to redraw 13 state districts. The …

New York gets a new congressional map that gives Democrats a slight edge in fight for House
9 months, 3 weeks ago

New York gets a new congressional map that gives Democrats a slight edge in fight for House

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. The lines are similar to both the existing congressional map and a proposal drawn by the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission, yet appeared far from the aggressive partisan gerrymander many expected after Democrats took control of the redistricting process earlier this week. Democrats also reversed proposed changes from the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission that would …

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power

Hindustan Times  

— Mississippi legislators diluted the power of Black voters by drawing too few majority-Black state House and Senate districts after the most recent Census, an attorney representing the NAACP and several residents told three federal judges Monday. HT Image But during opening arguments in a trial of the redistricting case, an attorney representing state officials told the judges that race …

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Attorneys argue over whether Mississippi legislative maps dilute Black voting power

Associated Press  

— Mississippi legislators diluted the power of Black voters by drawing too few majority-Black state House and Senate districts after the most recent Census, an attorney representing the NAACP and several residents told three federal judges Monday. But during opening arguments in a trial of the redistricting case, an attorney representing state officials told the judges that race was not …

U.S. House of Representatives 2024: New York state redistricting maps could win Democrats a majority in November.
10 months ago

U.S. House of Representatives 2024: New York state redistricting maps could win Democrats a majority in November.

Slate  

Last week, Democrats in New York scored one big victory on their path toward retaking a House majority with the triumph of Rep. Tom Suozzi in the state’s 3rd District, flipping it from Republican control. If the IRC’s maps are voted down, New York’s Democrat-controlled Legislature will take over redistricting duty from the nonpartisan body, a political triumph national Democrats …

New York redistricting panel approves new congressional map with modest changes
10 months, 1 week ago

New York redistricting panel approves new congressional map with modest changes

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new congressional map Thursday that makes modest changes to three competitive districts but does not substantially alter the rest of the state’s lines. New York’s congressional redistricting process has been closely watched this year because suburban races in the state could have an outsize influence on which party controls the …

North Carolina’s election maps for 2024 are racially biased, advocates say in lawsuit
1 year ago

North Carolina’s election maps for 2024 are racially biased, advocates say in lawsuit

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina voting-rights advocates sued Tuesday to overturn all of the redistricting plans drawn by Republicans and being used starting with the 2024 elections, saying legislative leaders unlawfully weakened the electoral influence of Black voters. “The General Assembly targeted predominantly Black voting precincts with surgical precision throughout the state in drawing and enacting the 2023 Plans, at …

How much gerrymandering is too much? In New York, the answer could make or break Dems’ House hopes
1 year ago

How much gerrymandering is too much? In New York, the answer could make or break Dems’ House hopes

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s highest court last week gave Democrats a chance to redraw the state’s congressional districts, a major victory as the party tries to win control of the U.S. House next year. “There’s no hard and fast definition or bright line to define partisan gerrymandering,” said New York Law School professor Jeffrey Wice, who focuses on redistricting. …

New York’s high court orders new congressional maps as Democrats move to retake control of US House
1 year ago

New York’s high court orders new congressional maps as Democrats move to retake control of US House

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections, giving Democrats a potential advantage in what is expected to be a battleground for control of the U.S. House. “In 2014, the voters of New York amended our Constitution to provide that legislative districts be drawn by an …

New North Carolina congressional districts challenged in federal court on racial bias claims
1 year ago

New North Carolina congressional districts challenged in federal court on racial bias claims

Associated Press  

N.C. — North Carolina Black and Latino voters sued in federal court on Monday seeking to strike down congressional districts drawn this fall by Republican state legislators that they argue weaken minority voting power in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in central North Carolina challenges four districts where the plaintiffs contend GOP leaders …

Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn
1 year, 1 month ago

Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A federal judge ruled Thursday that some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and state House districts were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, in a 516-page order, also ordered the state to draw two new Black-majority districts in Georgia’s 56-member state Senate and …

North Carolina Republicans pitch Congress maps that could help them pick up 3 or 4 seats next year
1 year, 2 months ago

North Carolina Republicans pitch Congress maps that could help them pick up 3 or 4 seats next year

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans on Wednesday pitched new maps for the state’s congressional districts starting in 2024 that appear to threaten the reelection of at least three current Democratic U.S. House members. Senate redistricting committee leaders introduced two proposals that would rework the boundary lines for the state’s 14 U.S. House seats. “That’s a hard decision for the …

California governor vetoes bill requiring independent panels to draw local voting districts
1 year, 2 months ago

California governor vetoes bill requiring independent panels to draw local voting districts

Associated Press  

Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have required dozens of his state’s largest cities, counties and educational districts to use independent commissions to draw voting districts, dealing a setback to “redistricting reform” advocates. He added: “We were hopeful that this was an opportunity for California to show the rest of the nation what it looks like to put gerrymandering …

Redistricting alone could doom Kevin McCarthy's GOP majority: analysis
1 year, 3 months ago

Redistricting alone could doom Kevin McCarthy's GOP majority: analysis

Raw Story  

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy already faces a slim majority where he can't afford to lose more than five seats before being tossed back into the minority. "In the past nine days, state and federal judges threw out two congressional maps — and helped Democrats avoid a worst-case scenario in Ohio — kicking off an unusually busy redistricting calendar heading into …

Democrats’ plan to take control of Congress could depend on Southern California
1 year, 6 months ago

Democrats’ plan to take control of Congress could depend on Southern California

LA Times  

Democrats’ hopes to take control of Congress could hinge on several California races. We could be absolutely critical,” said Darry Sragow, a veteran Democratic strategist who is the publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book, which tracks the state’s congressional and legislative races. ”There are a number of districts that are capable of going one way or the other and …

New voting districts could change again in some states before the 2024 elections
1 year, 6 months ago

New voting districts could change again in some states before the 2024 elections

Associated Press  

The 2022 elections marked the first using new voting districts drawn from updated census data. RACE IN REDISTRICTING The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that Alabama’s congressional districts likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the political power of Black voters. It ordered a lower court to impose new U.S. House and state …

EXPLAINER: What’s ahead for Ohio’s unsettled political maps?
1 year, 11 months ago

EXPLAINER: What’s ahead for Ohio’s unsettled political maps?

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The election contests of 2022 may have been held and decided, but Ohio’s political maps remain far from settled. Voters gave the Ohio Supreme Court “exclusive, original jurisdiction” to decide legal challenges, which included three lawsuits against the legislative maps and two lawsuits against the congressional map. Ohio’s congressional map dispute is now awaiting action in the …

S. Carolina’s US House maps under scrutiny because of race
2 years ago

S. Carolina’s US House maps under scrutiny because of race

Associated Press  

A trial to determine whether South Carolina’s congressional maps are legal closes Tuesday with arguments over whether the state Legislature diluted Black voting power by remaking the boundaries of the only U.S. House district Democrats have flipped in more than 30 years. The civil rights group has asserted during months of arguments that the General Assembly’s actions not only diluted …

California races could determine control of US House
2 years, 1 month ago

California races could determine control of US House

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The stakes were spotlighted last week, when President Joe Biden traveled to Southern California …

California attorney general will investigate L.A. redistricting in wake of leaked audio
2 years, 2 months ago

California attorney general will investigate L.A. redistricting in wake of leaked audio

LA Times  

Rob Bonta said Wednesday that his office would investigate the Los Angeles redistricting process that took place last fall, saying an inquiry is needed to “restore confidence” in the line-drawing of the city’s 15 council districts. Fred Ali, who was appointed by Martinez to the redistricting commission and served as its chairman, said he was “horrified” by “the racism you …

3 Racially Discriminatory Maps And One Illegal Partisan Gerrymander Could Help GOP Win The House
2 years, 3 months ago

3 Racially Discriminatory Maps And One Illegal Partisan Gerrymander Could Help GOP Win The House

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Earlier this year, federal judges found that the congressional district maps adopted in Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana failed to provide enough representation for their respective state’s Black populations. Voting Rights Violations In The South In Alabama, Republicans drew a new seven-district map that packed a large portion of the state’s Black population into one district favoring Democrats …

What to know about California’s congressional races in the 2022 primary election
2 years, 6 months ago

What to know about California’s congressional races in the 2022 primary election

LA Times  

California voters in 2022 will elect 52 members for its delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some of the district contests are expected to be among the nation’s most hard-fought — and expensive — as the Republican Party aims to take back control of Congress. In the Tuesday primary, the two candidates who receive the most votes move forward …

Judge declines to toss New York Assembly redistricting maps
2 years, 7 months ago

Judge declines to toss New York Assembly redistricting maps

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — A New York judge refused Wednesday to throw out new political maps setting the boundaries of state Assembly districts, saying even though they were drafted improperly, opponents had waited too long to join the lawsuit challenging them in court. Previous court rulings struck down the party’s favored new maps for state Senate and U.S. House districts as …

Missouri House passes new congressional redistricting plan
2 years, 7 months ago

Missouri House passes new congressional redistricting plan

Associated Press  

— With time running short, the Missouri House on Monday passed a newly proposed map for the state’s eight congressional districts that — if the Senate agrees — could be used in elections later this year. Though Republicans hold large majorities in the state Capitol, Missouri is one of the last states still struggling to enact a congressional redistricting plan …

New York court rejects congressional maps drawn by Democrats
2 years, 7 months ago

New York court rejects congressional maps drawn by Democrats

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s highest court on Wednesday rejected new congressional maps that had widely been seen as favoring Democrats, largely agreeing with Republican voters who argued the district boundaries were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The state’s Court of Appeals said the Democratic-led Legislature lacked the authority to redraw congressional and state Senate maps after an independent redistricting commission charged with …

Fight over gerrymandering argued at New York’s highest court
2 years, 7 months ago

Fight over gerrymandering argued at New York’s highest court

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — Judges on New York’s highest court peppered attorneys with sharp questions Tuesday as they considered whether to throw out new congressional district maps that Republicans say were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. New York’s governor and legislative leaders deny they bent the rules, but two lower courts have already ruled the district maps were drafted specifically to give Democrats an …

Essential Politics: Republicans are still gerrymandering, but how much is it helping them?
2 years, 8 months ago

Essential Politics: Republicans are still gerrymandering, but how much is it helping them?

LA Times  

Ron DeSantis at a Miami news conference Feb. 1 where he said he would veto the congressional districting plan drawn by lawmakers and force a special session. The plan, approved by the Florida Legislature this week and signed by DeSantis on Friday, would virtually guarantee Republicans 20 out of 28 districts in a state that splits almost evenly in politics …

Judge clears way for New Mexico GOP redistricting challenge
2 years, 8 months ago

Judge clears way for New Mexico GOP redistricting challenge

Associated Press  

SANTA FE, N.M. — A state district judge has cleared the way for the Republican Party of New Mexico to challenge a congressional map that divvies up a conservative area of the state into three congressional districts, rejecting a motion by Democrats who sought to dismiss the case. “The court recognizes that we have strong evidence to support our claim …

California Legislature upended by new political maps
2 years, 9 months ago

California Legislature upended by new political maps

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — New political maps have upended the California Legislature this year by prodding more than two-dozen state lawmakers into early retirement or career changes, while others are forced into unfamiliar new districts ahead of the November election. California’s political maps are drawn by a randomly selected Citizens Redistricting Commission whose members aren’t allowed to consider if new district …

Washington state redistricting commission chair resigns
2 years, 9 months ago

Washington state redistricting commission chair resigns

Associated Press  

SEATTLE — The nonpartisan chair of Washington state’s redistricting commission has resigned, lashing out at Democratic leaders for refusing to defend the commission-drawn legislative maps from a legal challenge. Sarah Augustine announced her resignation Monday following the panel’s two Democratic commissioners voting against intervening in a federal lawsuit alleging the maps violate the federal Voting Rights Act, The Seattle Times …

Column: Can California Latinos save Democrats in the midterm elections? A new congressional map offers hope
2 years, 10 months ago

Column: Can California Latinos save Democrats in the midterm elections? A new congressional map offers hope

LA Times  

With new congressional maps based on the 2020 census, the number of Latino-majority districts in California has grown to 16 from 10. The new Latino-majority districts are concentrated in the Central Valley, a former Republican stronghold that has turned purple, though white and conservative-leaning corporate agriculture interests continue to have more political power than the larger population of low-income Latinos …

Minnesota courts release new political district maps
2 years, 10 months ago

Minnesota courts release new political district maps

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota panel of five judges released new congressional and legislative district maps on Tuesday, repositioning the state’s political landscape for the next 10 years and setting the stage for November’s midterm elections. Minnesota’s 2nd District in Congress, represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, got smaller and less rural due to increases in suburban population …

Suit: South Carolina GOP chose ‘worst’ map for Black voters
2 years, 10 months ago

Suit: South Carolina GOP chose ‘worst’ map for Black voters

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Civil rights groups have added several congressional districts to a lawsuit over “racially gerrymandered” redistricting maps, accusing South Carolina Republican lawmakers in an amended lawsuit filed Thursday of unconstitutionally redrawing lines so as to disadvantage Black voters. New maps for areas including the 1st, 2nd and 5th Congressional Districts are based on state bills that “represent the …

Democrats expected the worst in redistricting. State courts are blunting their losses
2 years, 11 months ago

Democrats expected the worst in redistricting. State courts are blunting their losses

LA Times  

Kathy Hochul delivers her first State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber at the state Capitol in Albany. Democrats haven’t gotten much good news in recent weeks, but here’s one piece: Redistricting, the once-a-decade process of drawing new lines for congressional and legislative districts, is turning out better for them than expected. The Ohio court was enforcing what …

Plan to radically change US House districts in SC proposed
2 years, 11 months ago

Plan to radically change US House districts in SC proposed

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Just days before the South Carolina General Assembly appears ready to finish drawing new U.S. House districts, state Senators have been asked to consider an alternative that would make radical changes favorable to Democrats in the state’s seven congressional districts. He said his version is fair, equitable and creates districts that give more voters a chance to …

News Analysis: California’s political redistricting was all about defining a ‘community’
2 years, 11 months ago

News Analysis: California’s political redistricting was all about defining a ‘community’

LA Times  

Even when redistricting is removed from the hands of legislators, subjective decisions must still be made. “Adding communities of interest as one of the criteria,” McGhee said, “was a way of providing extra protection for racial and ethnic minorities.” Unlike the Voting Rights Act — in which the legal standard involves proving the existence of racially polarized voting patterns that …

US House shuffle continues with California districts in play
3 years ago

US House shuffle continues with California districts in play

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The once-a-decade reshaping of California congressional districts set off another round of political maneuvering Wednesday, with House members jumping into newly drawn districts that will play into the fight for control of Congress in 2022. Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel announced she will run in an inland district anchored in Orange County, avoiding a potential showdown on …

US House shuffle continues with California districts in play
3 years ago

US House shuffle continues with California districts in play

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel announced she will …

Democrats appear to gain edge in California House districts
3 years ago

Democrats appear to gain edge in California House districts

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — California Democrats appear to have come away with the advantage in a recasting of the state’s congressional districts, with boundaries that could strengthen their hold on the delegation and play into the fight for U.S. House control next year. An analysis by Sacramento research firm Redistricting Partners found that 44 of the new California House districts would …

With California’s congressional maps set, candidates swoop in
3 years ago

With California’s congressional maps set, candidates swoop in

LA Times  

Katie Porter, third from right, and Harley Rouda, second from right, at a 2018 campaign event with former President Obama. After months of stall as they waited for new district lines, California’s congressional incumbents and challengers rushed to declare their candidacies Tuesday as key matchups, including a potential high-stakes contest between Orange County Democrats, began to crystallize. Soon after the …

LA-area loses US House seat in new California political maps
3 years ago

LA-area loses US House seat in new California political maps

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — New California congressional maps finalized Monday leave the Los Angeles area with one fewer U.S. House seat and set up a handful of highly competitive races for next year’s midterm elections. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission was tasked with drawing new state political maps based on census data, a process that happens once every 10 years. Elsewhere, …

Latino political power is a big winner in California’s new congressional map
3 years ago

Latino political power is a big winner in California’s new congressional map

LA Times  

Latino voters would see a major boost in political clout under new congressional and legislative districts approved unanimously Monday by the independent citizen panel charged with redrawing the state’s political map. Nearly one-third of the state’s 52 new congressional districts would have a majority of Latino citizens of voting age under the new maps. “It’s a long time coming and …

Criticism resumes of proposed redistricting maps in Virginia
3 years ago

Criticism resumes of proposed redistricting maps in Virginia

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Some residents and politicians criticized proposed redistricting maps for Virginia on Friday, telling the state’s Supreme Court that many communities would see their voting strength diluted by seemingly arbitrary political boundaries. Virginia’s Supreme Court is redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative maps after a new bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on maps earlier this year. Maurice …

Panel gives state House, Senate district maps preliminary OK
3 years ago

Panel gives state House, Senate district maps preliminary OK

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted Thursday in favor of new preliminary district maps over sharp objections from the House’s Republican leader, as a large increase in the state’s minority population helped shape big changes. Nordenberg said it is an “intuitive democratic ideal that attracting about 50% of the popular vote also ought to mean winning about …

House committee meets on congressional redistricting maps
3 years ago

House committee meets on congressional redistricting maps

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — New maps for U.S. House seats released by a South Carolina House committee differ significantly from boundaries drawn up by the Senate, as the two chambers try to carve out seven congressional districts that reflect the state’s rapid growth in the past decade. South Carolina’s new maps must account for the 500,000 new people the state added …

Column: Are Californians chumps to play fair on congressional redistricting?
3 years ago

Column: Are Californians chumps to play fair on congressional redistricting?

LA Times  

In 2010, a year of deep political discontent, Californians voted to strip lawmakers of their power to draw the state’s congressional boundaries. But worst of all is a system where only one party gets screwed.” David Wasserman, one of the country’s leading nonpartisan congressional analysts, estimated that neutral commission maps in the Democratic-leaning states of Colorado, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington …

Commission finalizes L.A. County supervisors map, creating a second majority-Latino district
3 years ago

Commission finalizes L.A. County supervisors map, creating a second majority-Latino district

LA Times  

The Los Angeles County Citizens Redistricting Commission created this final map, which was approved Wednesday night. A citizens redistricting commission Wednesday approved a map for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors that creates a second majority-Latino district while maintaining a concentration of Black voters in South L.A. and grouping more Asian American voters together. The wealthy beach cities Hahn …

New maps spark debate over majority-minority districts
3 years ago

New maps spark debate over majority-minority districts

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Adam Hollier is a lieutenant in the Army Reserves, a paratrooper, Detroit native, a Democrat and a Black man. “I get what Republicans have done, completely, but I’m not willing to sacrifice Black representation and brown representation, I’m just not,” said Sen. Lena Taylor, one of two African American Democrats in the Wisconsin state Senate, who voted against …

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