On August 20, the Texas State House of Representatives voted to approve a new congressional map. This map would change the US Congressional voting districts throughout the state of Texas and could give the Republican Party wins in five more districts than the previous map. Which could give Republicans five more seats in the House of Representatives in Washington during the 2026 midterm elections. As you have surely heard by now, this practice of redrawing maps to favor one political party over another is called gerrymandering. We should all pay attention to the actions of political parties and how they affect our ability to vote and participate in democratic activities. This Word Nerd also wanted to learn where this ridiculous sounding term originated.
Cue the research!
According to Merriam-Webster, the term Gerrymandering came about in the 1700s, thanks to a man named Elbridge Gerry. He was an active politician of the 18th century. Gerry’s contributions to our country include signing the Declaration of Independence, serving as Governor of Massachusetts, and serving as Vice President of the US under James Madison. While acting as MA Governor, Gerry tried to change the shape of voting districts to give an advantage to his own party. These districts had unusual shapes, particularly Gerry’s own district, which resembled a newt (a type of salamander). When Gerry’s district map was presented to law makers, members of the opposing party noted the newt-like shape and chanted “Gerrymander!” The name stuck. So did the practice of rigging voting districts.
Our state voting districts were developed to empower citizens to elect law making bodies that accurately represent the interests of all communities. Traditionally, these maps are evaluated every ten years, at the turn of the decade after the national census, to determine if shifts in population require new maps, or redistricting. The practice of gerrymandering, used by both political parties, interferes with this important democratic process.
Michael Li, of the Brennan Center for Justice, puts it this way:
Elections are supposed to produce results that reflect the preferences of voters. But when maps are gerrymandered, politicians and the powerful choose voters instead of voters choosing politicians.
Gerrymandering has always plagued American politics, but we are hearing more about it these days, and it’s not because of Texas. In 2019, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that gerrymandered maps cannot be challenged in federal court. This leaves room for all political parties to leverage power in their favor. I was relieved to learn recently that as a citizen of Virginia, I shouldn’t have to worry about gerrymandering in my state. In 2020, Virginians voted to approve a Virginia Constitutional amendment to have district maps approved by a bipartisan commission. When that commission deadlocked, the issue was turned over to the Virginia Supreme Court. So, in theory, Virginia’s voting districts will continue to be based on impartial guidelines, like population, and not on political will. At least for now.
Do you know what laws, if any, exist regarding gerrymandering in your state? I encourage you to find out! Voters should choose politicians, not the other way around!
If you have thoughts about gerrymandering, or would like to discuss another political term, please share in the comments! You can learn more about gerrymandering here:
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
