Democrats are struggling to convince the public that they are outraged that there is gerrymandering afoot in Texas. It is no easy task, particularly after Texas Democrats selected Illinois as their sanctuary state, a state considered the most gerrymandered in the country. Trump received 45 percent of the vote in the state, but Republicans have only 14 percent of the congressional seats. Even the New York Times admitted that gerrymandering has favored Democrats across the nation. However, the winner of the Claude Rains award must be Marc Elias, who has expressed disgust over the notion of gerrymandering despite the fact that his group was denounced by courts for outrageous gerrymandering efforts.
The origin of the term was based on re-districting associated with Elbridge Gerry, a Founding Father, vice president, and governor of Massachusetts. He signed off on a district designed to guarantee a seat for the precursor of today’s Democratic Party. The district resembled a salamander, so the Boston Gazette deemed it the “Gerry-mander.”
That effort pales in comparison to what was done in Illinois to deny Republicans a fair share of congressional seats. This is the Illinois map:
The 13th congressional district stretches from East St. Louis to Springfield, 90 miles away. It then takes a sharp turn east to grab Decatur and Champaign. This monstrosity was approved by Democrats who are now insisting that they will respond to Texas with a gerrymander war, as if they were political pacifists until a few days ago.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker portrayed his party as the victim of conniving pols and pledged to respond in kind. Yet, it was Pritzker who approved the redistricting that guaranteed that, while Republicans represent almost half of the voters, they will receive less than twenty percent of the congressional seats.
The same is true in California, where Governor Gavin Newsom is also pledging to retaliate despite previously engaging in rampant gerrymandering. Republicans constituted roughly 40 percent of the congressional vote in 2024 but received only about 17 percent of the House seats. Across the country in 17 blue states, the Dems won 56.7 percent of the popular House vote but secured 143 of the 185 House seats — 77.7 percent.
New York has achieved that same expanded democratic representation despite the fact that Trump received 45 percent of the vote. Republicans are confined to a small handful of districts.
I have long opposed gerrymandering by both parties. However, the claims of disgust and outrage by Democrats border on the comical.
That brings us to Marc Elias, who is again trying to raise clients and donations off the outrage.
Elias has not only been sanctioned in past litigation, but past courts have also criticized his group. In Maryland, Elias filed in support of an abusive gerrymandering of the election districts that a court found violated not only Maryland law but the state constitution’s equal protection, free speech and free elections clauses. The court found that the map pushed by Elias “subverts the will of those governed.”
Elias is currently looking at a likely demand for testimony in the new grand jury investigation into the Russian conspiracy. He featured prominently in the filings of Special Counsel John Durham. It was Elias who made the key funding available to Fusion GPS, which in turn enlisted Steele to produce his now discredited dossier on Trump and his campaign.
During the campaign, reporters did ask about the possible connection to the campaign, but Clinton campaign officials denied any involvement. Weeks after the election, journalists discovered that the Clinton campaign hid payments for the Steele dossier as “legal fees” among the $5.6 million paid to Perkins Coie.
New York Times reporter Ken Vogel said at the time that Elias denied involvement in the anti-Trump dossier. When Vogel tried to report the story, he said, Elias “pushed back vigorously, saying ‘You (or your sources) are wrong.’” Times reporter Maggie Haberman declared, “Folks involved in funding this lied about it, and with sanctimony, for a year.”
It was not just reporters who asked the Clinton campaign about its role in the Steele dossier. John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, was questioned by Congress and categorically denied any contractual agreement with Fusion GPS. Sitting beside him was Elias, who reportedly said nothing to correct the misleading information given to Congress.
With the likes of Marc Elias leading the cause against gerrymandering, the Democrats have reached a level of hypocrisy that knows no equal.
For the public, this growing war should support a movement to put an end to gerrymandering by all parties. Politicians will then have to look to voters, not maps to maintain their power.
Gerrymandering is not the issue. Turley knows and even the Republicans know it’s fair game thanks to SCOTUS. What is egregious is doing it for the purpose of preventing republicans from losing control of the house. It’s not illegal, but the optics make it seem less democratic.
California can and it seems they will do their own redisctricting to counter Texas. NY seems to be going that way too. How that turns out will determine the outcome of the midterms and Trump’s agenda going forward. The way the polls are going for Trump seems to be bad news for Republicans. The economy is not moving or improving much, Trump’s BBB is hated by everyone, and his immigration policies polling is showing a decline in support. Republicans need the hispanic vote in Texas and elswhere. The Youth vote is not going to go for Trump again. So what is left? Cheat by gerrymander.
More crap from the liar in chief. George, until you come clean about your serial lying with the non-existent Maxwell testimony and conviction, and your bizarre inability to define basic legal terms like perjury, why should anyone listen to a word that you have to say? They don’t, because you’re just a liar with no credibility. Why don’t you run off to some left wing site where you can lie all you want without being called out on it?
Your own obsession with George is getting old. We know he is a liar but your posts are getting to be just as bad as his lying.
So long as George comes here to lie, I will call her out on her lying. If you have a problem with George’s lying, take it up with George. She can stop lying anytime she wants.
I’d suggest that Texas’s re-districting is being done in response to rapidly changing demographics. The re-districting is being done to more accurately reflect reality. Retaliatory re-districting would be done not to reflect reality but to deny it.
We can thank this gerrymandering “war” on SCOTUS. They did make it easier for all parties to do it.
Texas is only doing what Trump wants. Abbott didn’t want to do it. He didn’t initially agree with the idea. Until Trump called him.
Now other states are joinin in on the fun by gerrymandering Republicans out of their districts and nullify the Texas effort. The only reason this is going on is because Republicans are very likely to lose control of the house and Trump doesn’t want that. So….he’s seeking to rig things in his favor.
If Democrats succeed in delaying or run out the clock on any gerrymander before the mid-term election Democrats could in theory still gerrymander their districts to gain even more seats. It’s just a theory, but it’s all thanks to SCOTUS.
Serial liar and prevaricator George is back for more. George, have you found that Maxwell testimony that you lied about, when you said that she lied under oath in open trial “repeatedly” and that she was convicted of perjury? None of that happened, so we’re confused as to why you keep lying about it. George, you have no credibility here, you can’t even define perjury even when you’re given the actual definition. Move along George, nobody here cares what you think.
george
Texas is only doing what Trump wants. Abbott didn’t want to do it. He didn’t initially agree with the idea. Until Trump called him.
______________________
You are so full of it george.
Dem run states have been doing this for over 100 years you moron.
Just point and laugh at the serial liar in chief Georgie. She has no credibility here, but her sociopathic tendencies prevent her from realizing it.
We don’t really know the sex of Anonymous/Gigi/George/Whoever, so it isn’t safe to use either “he” or “she.” Let’s just cover our bottoms, and say “it.”
What democrats have been doing is irrelevant. It’s still true Trump wants Texas to do the gerrymander. They were not considering a redistrict until Trump brought it up. He claims Texas is entitled to more seats because….? He brought up the issue.
“ The governor eventually agreed to include redistricting on his special session agenda after discussing the matter with the president on a phone call.”
“ WASHINGTON — Before he called lawmakers back to Austin to redraw Texas’ congressional maps, Gov. Greg Abbott was initially resistant to the plan pushed by President Donald Trump’s political team to pick up new GOP seats through a rare mid-decade redistricting, according to two people who have spoken to Abbott and the White House about the behind-the-scenes discussions.
The majority of Texas’ GOP congressional delegation was also wary of the idea, with many members concerned that Republican map-drawers could miscalculate and spread their voters too thin — thus putting their jobs in jeopardy — while trying to flip Democratic seats, six people involved in internal delegation discussions told The Texas Tribune.”
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/22/texas-redistricting-abbott-republicans-resistant-trump/
You what I don’t see in that rant, Georgie? Any link to the Maxwell testimony that you lied about. Could you at least point us her conviction for perjury?
Can you at least define perjury for us? Oh, that’s right, you can’t. Move along George, nobody cares what you think.
george
What democrats have been doing is irrelevant.
************
So geroge you admit the dems have been doing this. WOW for once you finally told the truth.
I should mark this day
Oh no, if George stops lying, what will I do with all of my sudden free time?
“ So geroge you admit the dems have been doing this. WOW for once you finally told the truth.
I should mark this day”
Yeah, why would that be an issue. I never said they didn’t do it. Both parties do this. That is one thing I agree with Turley on.
Do you think gerrymandering is ok? Do you agree with the idea?
George, why do you continue to post here? You have no credibility among the commenters here, as you’ve been repeatedly exposed as a serial liar and prevaricator again and again. Nobody cares what you think.
george.
That’s right dems do it too
So shut up you cry baby. Your team started this mess 100 years ago.
It’s pay back time.
Dustoff, nobody is denying that. You seem to think someone is for some weird reason.
The difference with the Texas gerrymander is that Trump is demanding it. He keeps saying Texas is entitled to five more seats. According to what?
Texas was not considering any redistricting until Trump called Abbott. The maps were not drawn by Texas legislators. Who gave them the maps?
Payback for what? Trump knows the midterms look shaky for Republicans because of Trump’s lackluster economy and shrinking poll numbers on immigration policy.
Already two Republicans are proposing legislation limiting gerrymandering of both parties.
If CA and NY succeed in their gerrymandering it will make the Texas effort a huge waste of time and money. Abbott and most Texas legislators didn’t want this but Trump is wants them to…badly. He’s already looking to rig the midterms.
Nobody cares what the serial liar George thinks about anything. It’s amazing that loser George doesn’t seem to realize this.
So this is the George I’ve heard complaints about. He seems as silly as everyone says he is. Spouting Democrat party line in the face of all countervailing political winds. I think George seems more like a fantasist. And if this post is representative his shtick is laughable.
^^^^anonymous trying to ^^^^pretend to be someone else^^^
In Illinois and probably in most other states where there is one or more sizable city or county, the trick is to anchor a district in the city or county and to then extend it’s tentacles far into the suburbs and rural areas (presumably Republican areas). That’s what Illinois 13 is and is quite notable on the map. But, blow up the detail in and around Chicago and Cook County and you will see the Hydra-shaped districts that ensure Dem dominance in the Illinois Congressional Delegation. Heck, in Illinois, Congressmen didn’t even have to live within their district boundaries. For many years, the late, wealthy Sydney Yates who spent his entire adult life in the legislature lived outside his ever-changing district boundaries. Oh, living of a legislative salary, he amassed a net worth of 8 figures way back in the early ’80s. Just a savvy investor with his meager investable income…the man was a genius!?!
Sydney’s a woman–don’t you read the news?
I’m pretty sure members of Congress don’t need to live in their districts in any state–“the power to tax is the power to destroy” and all that. Take Rep. Maxine Waters–pleeease.
Maybe Congress should pass a law.
While reasonable people claim in theory to be against a gerrymander, it becomes much more complicated in practice, since local topography can play such an important role.
— states that have mountains and canyons might look gerrymandered, until you actually set foot on the ground and notice that district lines often are aligned with impassible ridges.
— states that have rivers and swamps might look gerrymandered, until you notice that district lines might be aligned with riverbeds that have no viable bridges for many miles along their route.
On top of that, there is a section of the Voting Rights Act that actually REQUIRES a gerrymander based on race in order to ensure a “majority-minority” district, even though the definition of “minority” might not reflect today’s demographics.
Jonathan Turley is no different than Mike Lindell with tenure.
“Jonathan Turley is no different than Mike Lindell with tenure.”
He makes pillows? News to me. Come up with better slander next time.
Ok, what loser upvoted this? Georgie?? I’d be embarrassed to get upvoted by a serial liar like George.
“However, the claims of disgust and outrage by Democrats border on the comical.”
— JT
I would argue good professor, Democrats do not border on the comical. They swam across and jumped the border straight into comical.
Good one. In San Francisco, they get their news from The Comical.
Democrats have been at war with the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Americans, and the United States of America since 1860, before the pole shift, when they were called republicans.
Elias was at the heart of the conspiracy. Hopefully he will soon be before a jury in Florida!
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger the only sane politician in America? This race to the bottom is a travesty. Partisan gerrymandering is not a partisan issue. For those who actually believe in democracy, all efforts to stop it – whether the gerrymandering is orchestrated by the left or right – should be celebrated. And our President’s continued push to erode democracy (as well as likely Democratic contenders next cycle, like Newsom) should be reviled.
O-please Arnold Schwarzenegger should stick to movies, as a governor. He sucked and zero back bone.
A lot of his movies weren’t exactly winners either. Last Action Hero, anyone? Jingle All The Way??
OK you have got me there.
Game theory suggests that the best strategy is tit-for-tat. This is that in action, Republicans responding to the ludicrous transgressions of leftists in states like Illinois and California. Republicans are already behind several house seats due to “accidents” in the last census that overweighted several leftist states. I’m not particularly worried about this, as how exactly could California or Illinois possibly get any more gerrymandered, other than forced relocations of Republican voters?
“… how exactly could California or Illinois possibly get any more gerrymandered, other than forced relocations of Republican voters? …”
It is true, They are looking at ways to move the State Boundaries so that Nevada and Arizona would absorb the Republican Constituency.
There has even be the idea of annexing Tijuana and Mexicali of the Baha State of Mecico to gerrymander Republicans in the South of California (San Diego, etc.). And lets not forget the Upper corner of California (Modoc County California) that wants to Succeed from the State. Not a bad deal when you think about it. The State is so nuts to begin with, the boundary changes would spell relief for Constituents trapped inside the nightmare.
That’s how it could get “more gerrymandered” as you asked.
Good luck in moving state boundaries, that’s not going to happen. They can explore the idea all that you want, but it’s not reality based. And absorbing parts of a foreign country? You think Mexico might have something to say about that? Are these people certifiably insane?
“Are these people certifiably insane” – Exactly, that’s why we must rescue our fellow Republicans from the demonic Democratic Party in the evil State of California. It’s a Living Hell in High Water, if you know what I mean.
Ano
Tijuana and Mexicali of the Baha State of Mecico to gerrymander Republicans in the South of California (San Diego, etc.).
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Another lying lib. I lived in San Diego since the early 1950. The GOP did no such thing
Austrians make the best economists, too.
Democrats have repeatedly introduced bills to ban gerrymandering. In many D states the redistricting is done by a non-partisan board. In R areas they are eager to gerrymander as much as possible. Sorry Turley, your efforts to make the Ds look bad on this will fail. The US public knows who is against fair representation.
“Democrats have repeatedly introduced bills to ban gerrymandering.”
Where, Texas? 🤣
“In many D states the redistricting is done by a non-partisan board.”
Non-partisan boards that just happen to be made up of a bunch of retired (failed) Democrat officials, typically.
The rest of your screed is just as disingenuous. Have you even seen some of the ridiculous districts that have been carved out to create protected Democrat districts? Nice try, D+ for effort however.
Yep (Non-partisan) is a joke.
With warped logic like yours I would post as anonymous too.
All this seems unfair. All agree it is getting worse. All agree something must be done. But how many hear alarm bells that this country is facing a serious dissociation by increasingly hostile constituents, possibly combatants. It is with great hope that Trump can address this and bring back to the center this country before the situation becomes kinetic. Already, we see isolated events – to the cheers of partisans.
GDonaldAllen,
For some insight into their minds, She Was Murdered in Midtown Manhattan. The Internet Celebrated It.
“Wesley LePatner was a mother, a wife, and a beloved boss. But to a growing number of people, she was a symbol of everything they hate.”
“My initial reaction was relief.” That’s what Penny, a 30-year-old sociologist from Tampa, Florida, told me about seeing the news of Blackstone real estate executive Wesley LePatner’s killing in the lobby of a Manhattan office building.
“Her death, as a valuable instrument to such evil corporations, is nothing to mourn. Thousands of Americans die every day from situations that her company exacerbates, such as the affordable housing crisis.”
https://www.thefp.com/p/she-was-murdered-in-midtown-manhattan
Gerrymander all you want as long as it is not based on the color of one’s skin.
Tell that to the dem-o-rats. They started this whole mess.
But, of course, this is precisely how some districts are carved out. Illinois 13 is a good example, but there are others that are even more blatant. Isn’t the Supreme Court taking up a case where this is the issue?
The Supreme Court is taking up a case from Louisiana in which district lines were drawn to create a second “majority – minority” district under the Voting Rights Act.
Basically there are two competing rationales for how the district lines should be drawn.
Time to END all Federal Aid to non-profits, cities, states, colleges/students
Ban all public unions, they are a political army for Democrats
non-profit where anyone gets $100k…should be taxed!
Stop Rewarding Democrat Failure
Let Capitalism win!
There was also some serious recent Gerrymandering in the Madison, Wisconsin area. They literally Gerrymandered some politicians out of their own district by drawing the lines down the streets in front of their houses or very near their houses to intentionally exclude Republican politicians. Their Gerrymandering also pulled small tentacles of extremely progressive Madison Wisconsin neighborhoods into neighboring conservative districts to turn what once was marginally solid Republican districts into marginally solid Democratic districts.
I haven’t seen any redistricting done by either side in the 21st century that seemed reasonably “fair” and I’m really sick and tired of all the games.
No way, I’m reliably informed by a loser above that only Republicans gerrymander. I refuse to accept your facts that paint Democrats in a bad light.
Please write a column on how you would go about getting rid of the gerrymander. The urge to gerrymander beats loudly in the breast of every political party and operator and I don’t know how to eliminate it. Your thoughts would be helpful.
Make all congressional seats in each state “at Large” allowing the citizens of that state to contact any one of them as their representative.
“Make all congressional seats in each state “at Large” allowing the citizens of that state to contact any one of them as their representative.”
Interesting, it would lead to representatives actually competing for the votes of constituents. Crazy idea, I know.
“ Make all congressional seats in each state “at Large” allowing the citizens of that state to contact any one of them as their representative.”
We already do that, it’s called having a senator.
Only congress can do that. They will never enact legislation getting rid of the gerrymander. Not as long as it disadvantages one party most of the time.
O the irony: Yet again, Ds are outraged when Rs engage in an activity (gerrymandering) that Ds do on a regular basis. Even now, outraged Ds from Texas are seeking sanctuary in Illinois, a state even more gerrymandered than Texas. You can’t make this up:)
Hypocrisy is the linchpin of the Democrat Party. Without total, naked hypocrisy there would be no Democrat Party. The main difference between the Communist Party, the Nazi Party and the Democrat Party is the spelling of their names.
If there isn’t a clearer example of the democrat/prog hypocrisy that this…the dems of NY / IL/ CA/ NJ etc. want to do exactly what they are criticizing the republicans for doing in Texas. They will even harbor those Texas hypocrites while they attempt to accomplish the same redistricting that they are screaming so loudly about.
The only ones not sickened by this egregious hypocrisy are the progs whose blinders prevent them from seeing themselves as the corrupt knaves that they are.
Marc Elias belongs in prison.
He is an islamist, they have no allegiance except to the nation of islam. Make of that what you will but islam is a military institution whose end goal is a world caliphate, As far as the technical wording of our oath of office or our oath of citizenship, that allegiance should disqualify them for even citizenship.
Again, how does Elias maintain his license to practice law?
As for the other hypocrites:
“It is a general popular error to suppose the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare.” (Edmund Burke)