When people think of New England, they often picture charming university towns, harsh winters, and distinct accents. However, the area has another layer to it; it is known for having a severe gerrymander that favors Democrats.
Right now, rezoning seems to be the hot topic, especially as state legislators left Texas for New England while halting voting on a legislative map in Texas. There’s also the chance that Republicans could block votes concerning five House seats in Washington, D.C.
Democratic strategists have pointed out that the party struggles with “moral authority” regarding rezoning efforts in Texas. Interestingly, while reshaping districts to exclude minority parties is blatant gerrymandering, New England Democrats have set a historical precedent. The 21 House seats span six states, notably without a single Republican representative.
Looking at it plainly, Republicans could potentially reclaim the Mississippi House Race in 1860 similarly to how one might see advancement in New England in 2025.
There’s a narrative that suggests the political landscape in New England is too liberal or that it’s impossible to draw a GOP-friendly map in Massachusetts. However, it’s worth noting that there are millions of Republicans in the region. For instance, President Trump nearly secured a win in New Hampshire in 2024, and there’s a Republican senator in Maine, Susan Collins—at least somewhat Republican.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, ran for president, reinforcing that conservatives do exist in New England but often struggle to gain traction.
The only other area with a comparable congressional imbalance is the Great Plains, where only three out of 18 House seats are held by Democrats. Still, it’s not Republicans who are raising alarms regarding gerrymandering that supposedly threatens democracy.
In a rather ironic twist, as the Texan Democrats evade their responsibilities to protest against the practices of their party, they’ve created a strikingly lopsided scenario of 21-0.
The Texas legislators have recently departed for Illinois, deliberately disrupting a special session called to address these issues. There’s quite a lot of discussion on how a House seat can be redrawn, but the criteria can be rather subjective—geography, race, urban versus rural dynamics, and party affiliation all come into play. There really isn’t a universal standard.
Attempts in the past to derive a fair map have faltered, whether through bipartisan committees or other means. Now, there’s talk about using artificial intelligence to create fair districts, but questions arise—whose version of fairness are we using?
It might be prudent for liberal factions to look closely at New England’s situation and the absence of Republican representation in House districts before they engage more in the ongoing battles in Texas.
Ultimately, the Texas Democrats need to acknowledge that they’ve lost a fair fight in the Texas Legislature, and it is the state legislature that will handle the rezoning process in accordance with the law. Some may argue that the methods used by Republicans are so unorthodox that they seem to defy the spirit of the law, but if that’s the case, why isn’t there similar scrutiny in New England?
The fervor surrounding emergency politics often leads to drastic measures, as Democrats seem to shout warnings about slipping into fascism. Yet, when you urge voters to “wake up,” it might not resonate much more than trying to rouse a teenager on a Saturday morning.
For many, the notion of an authoritarian crisis doesn’t register, and while some voices are particularly loud, it doesn’t appear that there have been mass protests against the rezoning in Texas.
While the tumult surrounding the issue may intensify, the persistent elimination of Republican representation in New England continues without significant notice. It’s an ongoing concern that remains on the back burner for many.
