The gerrymandering battle between Democrats and Republicans continues, but it is the Democrats who have managed to get the latest win.
A judge just blocked the redrawn maps in Utah that would have given the GOP another seat.
While this is taking place, legal battles over the Texas and California gerrymandered maps continue.
Utah is one of many states that decided to redraw its maps, but that never means the maps will stand.
When a red state releases new maps, the Dems fight it, and when a blue state releases new maps, the GOP fights it.
In early October, Utah released a new version of its congressional maps after significant back and forth with the courts.
State legislators passed Option C on October 6, but the maps would not last long.
On Monday, a Republican-appointed judge, District Judge Dianna Gibson, struck the maps down, handing Democrats another win on this front.
In her ruling, she stated that the new map fails to abide by and conform with the requirements” of a 2018 ballot measure.
This will likely hand a seat over to the Democrat Party, making a tough 2026 election cycle even tougher.
A state Republican called the ruling a “gross abuse of power.”
Texas released new maps, but they were immediately challenged by Democrats and advocacy groups for gerrymandering. Honestly, I would be surprised if the new maps hold up, and there is no denying the fact that they were gerrymandered.
California is in much the same boat, relying on Prop 50 to back up the gerrymandering of maps that had already been gerrymandered by the Democrat Party.
If I am being honest about this, I hope everyone loses their cases and all existing maps go back into play, leaving the newly gerrymandered maps in the trash.
I have always hated gerrymandering, and I have begged for a new system to be put in place for years that would call for non-partisan commissions to redraw fair maps for every state in the country. The problem, of course, is that a nonpartisan commission has no chance of being put in play in this environment, as both parties are looking for every advantage they can get. Until we get someone willing to call out both sides for gerrymandering in the Whtie House, that will never happen. And sadly, I don’t see us ever having a president who will cross his or her party for gerrymandering.
