How to Avoid a Gerrymandering War
The current congressional map is flawed, but relatively balanced. That fragile equilibrium is now at risk.
Gearing up.
Photographer: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesThe nakedly partisan congressional redistricting effort that Texas Republicans are pursuing at President Donald Trump’s command shows what the map-making process should not look like. It’s more difficult to say exactly what an appropriate redistricting process should entail.
Reformers typically place the highest priority on avoiding bias toward one party, ensuring that nonwhite voters have a fair chance to elect nonwhite legislators, and maximizing the number of competitive seats. But those priorities can collide. As Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, told me, “Redistricting always involves balancing goals.”