GOP Leaders Come Out Against Partisan Gerrymandering
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What’s the story?
It is well-documented that partisan gerrymandering following the last census helped swing many districts in favor of Republicans across the country, so you might be surprised to hear that a group of prominent Republican leaders came out this week to call for an end to partisan gerrymandering.
Why does it matter?
Gill v. Whitford, a case focused on the partisan gerrymandering of voting districts in Wisconsin, is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on Oct. 3. The case may lead to a landmark decision on partisan gerrymandering because it proposes an objective tool, the ‘efficiency gap,’ to assess the extent of partisan gerrymandering in any district.
The Supreme Court has ruled previously that partisan gerrymandering is likely unconstitutional, but they have not found a tool to quantify the extent of the gerrymander that could be used as a reliable, unbiased legal measure. Gill v. Whitford may finally give it to them.
According to the New York Times, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Republican State Leadership Committee have all filed briefs supporting the state of Wisconsin’s redistricting. In their brief the Republican State Leadership committee argued that political polarization could not be directly correlated to partisan gerrymandering:
"Politics in the United States are polarized and have been for decades for a variety of reasons, and it is highly unlikely that partisan redistricting contributes to this polarization. If it did, one would expect the U.S. Senate to be less polarized than the House of Representatives, and that is manifestly not the case."
However, briefs filed by current and former Republican lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain (AZ); Gov. John R. Kasich (OH); Bob Dole, the former Republican Senate leader from Kansas and the party’s 1996 presidential nominee; former senators John C. Danforth (MO), Richard G. Lugar (IN) and Alan K. Simpson (WY); and Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, supported the plaintiff’s.
The brief filed by Sen. McCain, along with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) reads, "Partisan gerrymandering has become a tool for powerful interests to distort the democratic process."
Another brief filed by 65 current and former state legislators, including 26 Republicans pointed out that partisan gerrymandering has been a practice of both parties that has intensified:
"In recent years, the two major political parties, leveraging the technologies of the modern age, have intentionally and systematically excluded each other from state legislatures like never before. Democrats rigged the maps in Illinois, Maryland and Rhode Island, while Republicans did so in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina."
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) joined a brief filed by current and former members of the House of Representatives. He told the Times that partisan gerrymandering had contributed to toxic polarization in the House of Representatives:
"You have 435 districts in the nation, and there’s probably only 20 or so that are legitimate swing districts. For the 415 safe seats, their main election is in the primary, not the general. When the main election is in the primary, you legislate accordingly. The result has been a growing cavernous divide, which has created a Hatfield v. McCoy environment in the legislature, and it’s hurting the American people."
What do you think?
Are you concerned about partisan gerrymandering? Do you support the state of Wisconsin or the plaintiffs in this case? What do you think about these GOP leaders coming out in support of the plaintiffs? Does that change your mind, or simply underline your position?
Tell us what you think in the comments, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!
— Asha Sanaker
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia / Creative Commons)
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