While every state has completed the once-a-decade redistricting process, several states had their maps challenged for partisan gerrymandering. Since many of these cases are still unsettled, political parties are allowed to exercise undue power derived from tilted maps until courts request changes. In this post, I’m pulling recent political news into context to show how gerrymandering is often a precursor to increased ideological extremism and illegal activity.

TENNESSEE: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

Tennessee Republicans have made national headlines for their decision to expel two Black Democratic state lawmakers from the State House. While the news set off authoritarian alarm bells for many, legislative gerrymandering is what allowed Republicans the power to take these actions in the first place. And to make matters even worse, gerrymandered districts caused confusion for voters last November: hundreds were given incorrect ballots due to unnecessary splitting of precincts across multiple districts.

OHIO: From Bellwether to Bribery

Ohio’s gerrymandering saga seems to be never-ending. The state is currently using its third set of districts since first embarking on its redistricting journey back in 2020. Due to a special provision in Ohio law, legislators are also legally required to submit a new set of maps by 2025. Yet voters were forced to vote in gerrymandered districts in the 2022 elections due to Republicans’ inability (or unwillingness) to produce a court-ordered, fairer map. And what have Republicans done with this undue power in state government? Take bribes to the tune of nearly $60 million.

FLORIDA: Emboldening Extremists

Florida isn’t just a red state, it’s swimming toward the ideological deep end of political extremism. To start, state lawmakers are looking to harden up the state’s existing 15-week abortion ban to a six-week ban. Doing some quick research will tell you that one in three people don’t discover that they’re pregnant until after this six week period. (That ratio increases to a whopping two-out-of-three when looking only at teen pregnancies.) Legislators are also seeking to expand the reaches of their new “Don’t Say Gay” law. While they originally claimed that the law preventing instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity would only be applied to early childhood classes (pre-K thru 3rd grade), Florida House lawmakers just passed a bill to extend the law up through 8th grade. Gov. Ron DeSantis said, “hold my beer…” and is pushing to ban instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity for ALL grades up through high school. (Not-so-fun Fact: the lawmaker who sponsored the original “Dont Say Gay” law has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining COVID relief funds.)

Once again, what mechanism allowed Republicans the power to push through these types of bills in the first place? Gerrymandered maps that the governor drew himself which successfully revoked power from Democrats on both the federal and local levels.

WISCONSIN: How to Fight Back

Wisconsin’s district maps have been maligned as some of the most gerrymandered in the country. While Republicans have sliced up the state in their favor, largely due to their meticulous REDMAP initiative, the recent election of Milwaukee County judge Janet Protasiewicz to the state Supreme Court may finally help remedy this injustice. Her election marks the first time liberal judges hold a majority on the state’s highest court since 2008. Since partisan gerrymanders are challenged in state courts, many expect this shift to reignite legal challenges against the state’s tilted maps.