• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Events
  • Civic Ed
  • Campaign Finance
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • Independent Voter News
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up

Howard Gorrell

    FollowUnfollowFollowing
    Redistricting

    Democrats missed their window to pass redistricting reform

    Howard Gorrell
    July 28, 2022
    Rep. Zoe Lofgren

    In eight consecutive congressional sessions, Rep. Zoe Lofgren introduced legislation pushing the use of independent redistricting commissions. She has yet to offer it in the current Congress.

    Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Gorrell is an advocate for the deaf, a former Republican Party election statistician, and a longtime congressional aide.

    “State consti­tu­tional bans on gerry­man­der­ing in Flor­ida, Ohio, North Caro­lina, and other states could die, as could inde­pend­ent redis­trict­ing commis­sions in Arizona, Cali­for­nia, Michigan and other states,” according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

    That post was last updated June 30, the same date the Brennan Center responded after the Supreme Court agreed to hear Moore v. Harper, an unthinkable case out of North Carolina about the power of state courts to review the congressional district maps drawn by legislatures.

    In that case, Republican legislators requested the Supreme Court to overturn a North Carolina Supreme Court decision to throw out their gerrymandered congressional map and force one drawn by the court.

    The appellants' argument is based on the independent state legislature doctrine. This legal theory claims state courts do not have oversight power over gerrymandering and election policy set by legislatures. The doctrine is based on two clauses in the Constitution. The elections clause cited in the redistricting case provides that "the times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof." A separate provision is the presidential electors clause, which has nothing to do with redistricting.

    Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

    Keep ReadingShow less
    gerrymandering

    Join an Upcoming Event

    View All Events
    Redistricting

    A grade for West Virginia's map, just in time for the primary

    Howard Gorrell
    May 10, 2022
    West Virginia redistricting map

    A state legislator reviews the proposed congressional district map submitted by Gorrell.

    Perry Bennett

    Gorrell is an advocate for the deaf, a former Republican Party election statistician, and a longtime congressional aide.

    In March, a map accompanying an article in The Fulcrum showed West Virginia with a finalized congressional map. As a longtime opponent of partisan gerrymandering, I feel obligated to step in where purportedly unbiased analysts have failed to review West Virginia’s new district lines.

    Since Oct. 26, 2021, I have periodically monitored the Redistricting Report Card to learn which grade the Princeton Gerrymandering Project gives West Virginia. The PGP identifies and rates each state's congressional redistricting plans based on partisan fairness, competitiveness and geography.

    But the Redistricting Report Card shows West Virginia as one of five states without draft maps even though, on Oct. 22, Gov. Jim Justice signed bills establishing legislative and congressional maps that will be in place until the 2032 election cycle. West Virginia became the fifth state to complete congressional redistricting, and that was six months ago.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    gerrymandering
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Follow
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Follow
    Contributors

    Reform in 2023: Leadership worth celebrating

    Layla Zaidane

    Two technology balancing acts

    Dave Anderson

    Reform in 2023: It’s time for the civil rights community to embrace independent voters

    Jeremy Gruber

    Congress’ fix to presidential votes lights the way for broader election reform

    Kevin Johnson

    Democrats and Republicans want the status quo, but we need to move Forward

    Christine Todd Whitman

    Reform in 2023: Building a beacon of hope in Boston

    Henry Santana
    Jerren Chang
    latest News

    Does partisanship impact happiness?

    Lynn Schmidt
    10h

    Return copyright to its roots: Compensate human creators

    Samantha Close
    10h

    It’s the institutional design, stupid! With a parliamentary system, America could avoid gridlock and instability

    Milind Thakar
    06 February

    Poll: Americans’ legislative wish list for new congress shows frustration with political systems

    Benjamin Clary
    06 February

    Podcast: Why Democrats fail with rural voters

    Our Staff
    06 February

    Your Take: Religious beliefs

    Our Staff
    03 February
    Videos

    Video: America's civic education gap: What can business do?

    Our Staff

    Video: What does it mean to be Black?

    Our Staff

    Video: The dignity index

    Our Staff

    Video: The Supreme Court and originalism

    Our Staff

    Video: How the baby boom changed American politics

    Our Staff

    Video: What the speakership election tells us about the 118th Congress webinar

    Our Staff
    Podcasts

    Podcast: Why Democrats fail with rural voters

    Our Staff
    06 February

    Podcast: Anti-racism: The pro-human approach

    Our Staff
    03 February

    Podcast: 2024 Senate: Democrats have a lot of defending to do

    Our Staff
    02 February

    Podcast: Collage: The promise of Black History Month

    Our Staff
    01 February
    Recommended
    Does partisanship impact happiness?

    Does partisanship impact happiness?

    Big Picture
    Return copyright to its roots: Compensate human creators

    Return copyright to its roots: Compensate human creators

    Business & Democracy
    Video: America's civic education gap: What can business do?

    Video: America's civic education gap: What can business do?

    Video: What does it mean to be Black?

    Video: What does it mean to be Black?

    It’s the institutional design, stupid! With a parliamentary system, America could avoid gridlock and instability

    It’s the institutional design, stupid! With a parliamentary system, America could avoid gridlock and instability

    Government
    Poll: Americans’ legislative wish list for new congress shows frustration with political systems

    Poll: Americans’ legislative wish list for new congress shows frustration with political systems

    Government