The Democratic advantage on the generic congressional ballot has slipped over the last few weeks. But Republicans have gradually lost advantages of their own. Slowly but surely, the considerable structural advantages — like incumbency, geography and gerrymandering — that give the Republicans a chance to survive a so-called wave election […] Read more »
New survey shows fixing Virginia’s gerrymandering problem won’t be easy
Let’s acknowledge at the outset that redistricting reform is a subject mainly discussed by policy wonks, obscure to most people, and not likely to stir much public passion. That’s a shame, because without a groundswell of voters demanding change, Virginia lawmakers are not likely to give up the power they […] Read more »
Taking back the House will be harder than Democrats think
Democrats are feeling cheery at the prospect that this fall will bring an end to the power outage they suffered in 2016 and the near-irrelevance they have endured since. Conditions look particularly good for taking back the House. Off-year elections in a president’s first term nearly always cost his party […] Read more »
Ending Gerrymandering Won’t Fix What Ails America
Gerrymandering. It’s become the embodiment of so many of the evils in the U.S. political system. Frustrated by the lack of competitive elections? Blame gerrymandering. Appalled by the growing number of ideological extremists in Congress? Blame gerrymandering. What about congressional gridlock? Gerrymandering did it. But gerrymandering — the drawing of […] Read more »
Where Democrats Win, and Don’t, in Pennsylvania Gerrymander Ruling
The Republicans are counting on a favorable congressional map to help their majority ride out a possible “wave” election this November. But the congressional map got a little less favorable on Monday when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the state’s Republican-drawn congressional map. CONT. Nate Cohn, New York Times Read more »
Drawing the lines on gerrymandering
“Goofy’s over there, and he’s kickin’ Donald,” said Bonnie Marcus. This is not a Rorschach test — and these are not patients. They’re suburban Philadelphia voters who live next door to Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, nicknamed “Goofy kicking Donald Duck” for its absurd shape: … This district is one of […] Read more »