Category Archives: redistricting

“How a New City Council Map of L.A. Turned Into a Political Brawl”

September 11, 2023, 7:32 amredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: The redistricting battle in Los Angeles underscores how some big city leaders — often Democrats — have used gerrymandering for their political advantage, much the way Republican lawmakers have redrawn legislative lines to secure or expand their control over… Continue reading

“Dems inch toward House majority with recent court wins”

September 11, 2023, 7:30 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Politico: The fundamentals of the 2024 campaign are still taking shape, but one thing is already clear: A flurry of court actions might cost Republicans the House majority. In the past nine days, state and federal judges threw out two… Continue reading

“Ohio will use same unconstitutional congressional maps in 2024, as court dismisses legal challenges”

September 7, 2023, 7:14 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: Ohio will use the same congressional districts in 2024 that it used last year, as the Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday granted the dismissal of two legal challenges to the map the court previously deemed to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered… Continue reading

New Jersey Inquiry into Its Redistricting Process Finds “No Merit” to “Unspecified Claims of Improprieties” against Sam Wang and Princeton Redistricting Group; Inquiry Sees “Ample Room” for Improving the Process

September 6, 2023, 7:13 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Full report.

“Alabama will appeal rejection of congressional map to U.S. Supreme Court”

September 6, 2023, 7:05 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Al.com reports.

“Kennedy’s Supreme Court legacy is being erased, in part by past clerks”

September 4, 2023, 9:07 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Deep dive by Bob Barnes for WaPo: Other changes attributable to Kennedy’s departure have drawn less attention. For years, Kennedy was alone among the conservative justices in believing extreme partisan gerrymandering —drawing legislative districts to favor the political party in… Continue reading

“A Georgia trial arguing redistricting harmed Black voters could decide control of a US House seat”

September 4, 2023, 7:44 amredistrictingRick Hasen

AP: Democrats could gain a seat in the U.S. House and multiple seats in Georgia’s Legislature if a judge rules Republicans drew maps illegally weakening Black voters’ power. The trial beginning Tuesday is part of a wave of litigation progressing… Continue reading

“Florida redistricting lawsuit overturns DeSantis map, empowers Black voters”

September 2, 2023, 2:36 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

The Tributary: A state judge struck down North Florida’s congressional districts Saturday, rebuffing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ open defiance of anti-gerrymandering protections, finding the governor’s map illegally reduced Black voters’ electoral power. DeSantis had wagered the state’s Fair Districts Amendment… Continue reading

“Federal judge to decide whether new Jefferson County Commission district lines are racially unfair”

September 1, 2023, 3:06 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

AL.com: The future leadership of Alabama’s largest county is in the hands of a federal judge who will decide whether Jefferson County commissioners gerrymandered district lines to dwarf the voting rights of Black residents. In a five-hour hearing Wednesday Judge… Continue reading

“Dems tap Obama for crucial redistricting push”

August 26, 2023, 3:52 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Politico: The House majority next year could be determined in a state-by-state fight over redistricting that’s taking place right now. And Democrats are calling in the big guns. Former President Barack Obama hosted a fundraiser for the National Democratic Redistricting… Continue reading

Cal. Supreme Court decides CVRA case

August 24, 2023, 12:19 pmalternative voting systems, redistrictingJustin Levitt

The California Supreme Court is out with an important opinion today in Pico Neighborhood Ass’n v. City of Santa Monica: a ruling on the California Voting Rights Act and some of the ways in which it’s distinct from (and… Continue reading

“New district lines will scramble key New York House races”

August 21, 2023, 7:36 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Politico: Candidates are eager to run in competitive House seats in New York next year. There’s just one problem: They have no clear sense of where to campaign. The interminable legal fight over redistricting in New York will likely leave… Continue reading

Wisconsin: “Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley rips Janet Protasiewicz for not recusing on redistricting case”

August 18, 2023, 5:38 pmjudicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The outcome of a challenge to Wisconsin’s legislative maps is “predetermined” by the court’s liberal majority, conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote in a dissent issued Tuesday. The court is considering taking up lawsuits filed directly with it, bypassing… Continue reading

Wisconsin: “Vos says lawmakers may consider impeachment if Protasiewicz doesn’t recuse from redistricting cases”

August 13, 2023, 6:45 pmconflict of interest laws, judicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: If Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz does not recuse from lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative boundaries, Republicans who control the state Legislature might consider impeachment proceedings, the Assembly’s top Republican said Friday. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a… Continue reading