NYT: Legislative power brokers across the country have long designed district lines in back-room deals that entrenched their control for years, if not decades. But now, Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey are carrying out a power grab in an unusually… Continue reading

 Column in the Capital Gazette.

NYT: The continuing legislative maneuvers in Michigan and Wisconsin are part of a broader war for power in the Midwest, a politically prized region for both parties — but especially for Republicans, who are trying to dilute Democratic control ahead… Continue reading

New post at State of Elections.

AP: Other states have created independent commissions and required bipartisan votes to redraw legislative and congressional districts. Missouri will be the first to rely on a new mathematical formula to try to engineer “partisan fairness” and “competitiveness” in its state… Continue reading

AP: A three-judge panel has cleared the way for a trial that could upset districts in the Michigan Legislature and the state’s congressional delegation. The panel says Democrats so far have presented sufficient evidence that districts were shaped by Republican… Continue reading

AP: Wisconsin Democrats scored a huge win when Tony Evers captured the governor’s office last month. But an even bigger fight is looming as Republican lawmakers prepare to redraw legislative boundaries, stirring fears among Democrats that their rivals could take… Continue reading

I think this new draft is going to be important to the field. Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Evaluations of Partisan Fairness in District-Based Democracies Citation: Jonathan N. Katz, Gary King, and Elizabeth Rosenblatt. Working Paper. “Theoretical Foundations and Empirical … Continue reading

Politico: Democratic legislative leaders are preparing to diminish the power of their state party chairman as well as Republicans — if they can get New Jersey voters to go along with them. Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig… Continue reading