Democratic Congressman Discusses Redistricting Issues on CNN

On Monday, Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett spoke on CNN about the redistricting efforts in Democratic states, asserting they are “nonpartisan” and “fair,” while overlooking gerrymandered maps in other regions.

The Texas Legislature recently approved new congressional district maps after Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives concluded their “quorum break” on August 18. Doggett expressed concern regarding a potential Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana redistricting case, suggesting it could further diminish the fairness of maps in Republican-controlled states, compelling Democrats to abandon what he described as their “bipartisan” approach.

“The reality is it destroys our ability to engage with all communities at every government level,” Doggett stated. “I think this could disproportionately affect local school boards, city councils, and county governments. Of course, it may also have repercussions for Democrats in Congress.”

He emphasized the importance of an upcoming referendum in California, hoping it would be approved soon. Doggett also urged resistance against actions from President Trump that he claims mirror those made in Texas. “I trust our courts to invalidate these maps and want to continue serving, but mainly, it’s about ensuring our democracy truly represents all communities. This court decision could be a significant setback,” he noted.

Doggett expressed optimism about potential success in the newly drawn districts, though he also mentioned he would consider retirement if the maps were upheld.

“While I truly wish for fair, nonpartisan redistricting across the country and have backed such legislation, it seems unrealistic to think that only Democratic states can achieve this while extreme gerrymandering continues elsewhere, as evidenced in Texas,” Doggett added. “When Trump called for more Republicans, the Texas Republican Party jumped at the chance.”

Additionally, Maryland’s Democratic Governor, Wes Moore, recently indicated on “Face the Nation” that the state might attempt to redraw district lines to eliminate Rep. Andy Harris, the sole Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation. As per Ballotpedia, President Trump is projected to secure seven out of eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 2024 election.

In Illinois, the redistricting process previously removed two Republican seats prior to the 2022 midterms. Blue states that experienced a loss in U.S. House seats after the 2020 Census transitioned from a distribution of 13 Democrats and 5 Republicans to 14 Democrats and 3 Republicans after the midterms.

Since the year 2000, Massachusetts hasn’t seen a Republican elected to the U.S. House. Despite some Republicans winning gubernatorial races, the party has struggled to maintain representation at the congressional level.

As for New York, the state is set to redraw its congressional districts following the 2022 midterms, which could jeopardize the positions of as many as six of the 11 Republicans who were elected to the House. Following the 2024 elections, Democrats held 19 seats, compared to 7 for Republicans, a noticeable rise from the 15 seats held after the 2022 midterms.