Report: Democrats’ Gerrymandering Efforts Have Proven Ineffective

Gerrymandering efforts by the Democratic Party have thus far proven ineffective in potentially securing electoral wins, signaling a total collapse come time for the November midterm elections, according to a new report.

In the solidly blue state of New York alone, the GOP could win up to 11 U.S. House seats due to some recent court rulings, which resulted in Democrat Party leaders, such as House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), being forced into facing off against each other in primary challenges. Per Axios:

Democrats’ original plans in New York could have knocked out half of the eight GOP-held seats and boosted the party’s 19-member delegation to 22

Instead, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y), chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm, will run in a district that includes his home — but is mostly represented by Black freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). Maloney’s decision has angered many in the caucus.

In a twist, Jones will avoid that primary by running in a different redrawn district — facing off against former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, among others.

This past Friday in Florida, an appeals court stayed a lower court decision that blocked a political redistricting map drafted by state Republicans, potentially granting the GOP an extra four U.S. House seats this November.

“To avoid uncertainty and confusion in the upcoming 2022 primary and general elections, it’s important to move forward expeditiously to implement the congressional map passed by the legislature and signed by the governor,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office said of the ruling.

This year, the Democrats held out some hope of putting up a solid fight in November with gerrymandering wins in New York, Maryland, Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, but as election expert Dave Wasserman notes, recent court rulings have rendered that optimism moot.

“The legal setbacks and losses Democrats have suffered in the last three months have been staggering,” Wasserman said.

Gerrymandering efforts also failed in the state of Maryland where a judge recently struck down a redistricting map that could have potentially ousted the state’s lone House Republican: Rep. Andy Harris. The story is no better for Democrats in states like Wisconsin, Colorado, and Virginia.

“Democratic Gov. Tony Evers managed to veto Republicans’ maps in Wisconsin, but the court-approved maps submitted by Evers still favor the GOP,” noted Axios. “Democrats also might have seen gerrymandering opportunities in Virginia and Colorado, but those states established independent redistricting commissions that focused more on competitiveness.”