Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

justaprogressive

(4,751 posts)
Mon Jul 21, 2025, 11:30 AM Monday

'Biggest thing that keeps Trump up at night': Dems announce major plan to counter GOP

House Democrats are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s directive to eliminate Democratic seats in Texas by launching an aggressive redistricting strategy of their own—hiring top attorneys to help cut down the number of GOP-held seats in five key states, in the battle to retake control of the House from Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republicans.

Calling it “an extraordinary push,” CNN reported that House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wants to reorganize the congressional maps in California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Washington state, to help Democrats pick up as many seats as possible—if the courts allow it.

Currently, California has nine House Republicans. New York has seven. Minnesota has four, New Jersey has three, and Washington has two.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s plan reportedly could wipe out up to five of the 13 Democratic-held House seats in the Lone Star State. Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine is also planning on redrawing districts in his state to try to eliminate some of the five Democratic-held seats in his state.

The Cincinnati Enquirer last week noted that “Republicans control every aspect of the redistricting process in Ohio,” including at the state Supreme Court.


https://www.alternet.org/dems-counter-gop/]
5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
'Biggest thing that keeps Trump up at night': Dems announce major plan to counter GOP (Original Post) justaprogressive Monday OP
No, what keeps him awake at night is The Blue Flower Monday #1
'Literally no way': Idea of redrawing WA's congressional map gets bipartisan brush off FBaggins Tuesday #2
at a certain point gerrymandering actually makes your candidates vulnerable cadoman Tuesday #3
True - and that would start to be an issue in TX if they actually try for five seats FBaggins Tuesday #4
NY looks out - "NY Elections, Census and Redistricting Update 07/21/25" FBaggins Tuesday #5

The Blue Flower

(6,026 posts)
1. No, what keeps him awake at night is
Mon Jul 21, 2025, 11:32 AM
Monday

Whose life can I wreck next? Who hasn't suffered enough yet? Is there a skin tone not terrorized yet?

FBaggins

(28,259 posts)
2. 'Literally no way': Idea of redrawing WA's congressional map gets bipartisan brush off
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 09:32 AM
Tuesday
U.S. House Democrats want to counter a move by Texas lawmakers to elect more Republicans. Washington state lawmakers say redistricting won’t happen here before next year’s midterms.

...snip...

“There is no there, there. There’s literally no way to get the results they are talking about before the 2026 election,” said Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle. “We have already done our share to get Democrats in the House. There’s no juice to squeeze in the lemon here.”

House Majority Leader Joe Fitzbibbon, D-West Seattle, agreed. “It’s not on the table for us,” he said.

“We have an 8-2 delegation. It would take some very creative map drawing to get to 9-1. There’s no chance Republicans would be interested in helping us,” Fitzbibbon added.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/07/21/literally-no-way-idea-of-redrawing-was-congressional-map-gets-bipartisan-brush-off/


California isn't much more likely even with overwhelming control of the state government. It would take a constitutional amendment just to open the door... and even then we have too many existing blue seats at risk to reach for much more.

Minnesota is pretty evenly split and seems more likely to shift to a nonpartisan commission model than to redraw the lines in a partisan fashion.

I don't know much about NJ process re: the possibility of redrawing lines mid-cycle... but there's only one red seat (the 7th) that looks vulnerable to such a move.

Update on NY coming...


cadoman

(1,502 posts)
3. at a certain point gerrymandering actually makes your candidates vulnerable
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 09:35 AM
Tuesday

If you create a bunch of narrow margin districts you end up one bad policy away from losing seats.

Also, a big-name candidate for governor can pull in that extra 2-3% downballot..

FBaggins

(28,259 posts)
4. True - and that would start to be an issue in TX if they actually try for five seats
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 09:44 AM
Tuesday

It might be passingly possible in 2032 if the state picks up as many seats as some anticipate... but it would be awfully risky now (particularly if 2026 sees the anticipated blue shift)

The remaining blue seats (with the exception of the two along the border) are very blue. Some safe republicans would have to be willing to run competitive races.

I think they can pick up two without much risk... but five?

FBaggins

(28,259 posts)
5. NY looks out - "NY Elections, Census and Redistricting Update 07/21/25"
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 09:46 AM
Tuesday
New York has different rules. First, the state constitution prohibits a mid-decade redistricting. In Article III of the state constitution, Article III, Section 4 says that “a reapportionment plan and the districts contained in such plan shall be in force until the effective date of a plan based upon the subsequent federal decennial census taken in a year ending in zero unless modified pursuant to court order.” Further, the state Court of Appeals invalidated the 2022 remapping of the state’s congressional districts by the legislature because the map was determined to be a partisan gerrymander, in violation of other state constitutional requirements.

Technically, only the state senate map can be redrawn before 2030 if a court (in a new lawsuit) directs the state Independent Redistricting Commission goes back to work to finish the mapping it didn’t complete in 2022 and that map is approved by the state legislature and governor.

Unlike in Texas, where the state legislature can redraw a map without constraints or in California, where the state constitutional amendment process involves approval by the legislature followed by approval by the voters, the New York process can take over a year or more. New York’s constitution requires that any amendments be approved by two consecutively elected legislatures followed by a vote of the electorate. For example, an amendment passed by the Senate and Assembly in 2025 would have to pass in the same exact form by the new legislature elected in 2027 and then go to the voters for approval. An amendment introduced this year to change the redistricting process could not go into effect until late 2027, one year past the 2026 elections.


https://www.citylandnyc.org/ny-elections-census-and-redistricting-update-07-21-25/
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»'Biggest thing that keeps...