Texas, California, and the Election Chaos: What is Gerrymandering? 

Photo by Cage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In recent days, Texas and California have become the center of national political conversation due to the electoral disputes between their chambers of representatives. The dispute revolves around the concept known as gerrymandering, which has sparked a debate about the legality, necessity, and consequences of this controversial political strategy.

In Texas, dozens of Democratic representatives have fled the state to delay the political functions of the House of Representatives. In California, officials are preparing to propose their own strategy to combat Governor Abbott's electoral restructuring attempts in Texas. Both states represent centers of support and control for each of the major political parties: Texas for the Republicans, and California for the Democrats.

Given the urgency and complexity of this situation, and the speed with which everything is unfolding, it's easy to lose sight of what's really happening. With this in mind, this article offers a summary of the political landscape in each state and a clear explanation of what gerrymandering is. 

The Electoral Districts

In the United States, each state is assigned a number of representatives, based on its size and population. States are divided into electoral districts, and the number of districts in each state corresponds to the number of representatives they have. For example, Texas has 38 representatives and is divided into 38 electoral districts.

Representatives are elected by the population of each electoral district, and these elections typically use a majoritarian system. This is where the concept of gerrymandering comes in: if a party can redefine where one electoral district begins and another ends, they have the power to manipulate the results of several elections.

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering It's a political term used almost exclusively in the United States, although it describes a strategy that exists in several other countries. It refers to the redrawing of electoral maps to achieve a particular objective; usually the victory of the party that establishes the redrawing.

Several states, such as Texas, assign the power to redraw electoral maps to the State House of Representatives. This means that the party with a majority in the House of Representatives can use gerrymandering to ensure victory in future elections.

Republican representatives in Texas, for example, could redraw electoral districts to ensure that Democratic voters are spread across several districts, failing to win a majority election in any of them. Similarly, they could concentrate the majority of Democrats in one or two electoral districts, giving up some seats but ensuring the vast majority. This is known as gerrymandering, and it is generally legal in the United States. 

It's called gerrymandering because in 1812, Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry proposed a plan to redistrict electoral districts that would have very obviously given his party an advantage. One of these districts resembled a salamander, so a newspaper dubbed it the "Gerry-Mander," a term we still use today. 

What's Happening in Texas?

With this in mind, we focus on Texas and the gerrymandering crisis they are currently facing. The Donald Trump administration has pressured Governor Abbott to propose redistricting Texas, with the goal of gaining even more Republican support in the state ahead of the 2026 elections. In Trump's first term, the president lost significant support during the 2018 election, indicating that this is one of Donald's priorities to maintain state control.

The realignment was introduced last week and was met with controversy and criticism from several Democratic officials across the country. But currently, the Texas House of Representatives is primarily Republican, and the Governor is a Republican, so Texas Democrats can't really do anything about it, in theory. However, this weekend, Texas Democrats embarked on an unprecedented political move to protest the realignment.

Dozens of Democratic representatives in Texas left the state this weekend. Some went to Illinois, some to California, and several came to Boston. Without such a large number of representatives present, the Texas House of Representatives legally cannot meet. They are simply unable, legally, to enter into session. This means the chamber cannot pass the restructuring, since it cannot do anything. 

Governor Abbott has demonstrated his intention to continue fighting for this gerrymandering plan. Abbott has produced civil arrest warrants for absent representatives, but the Governor doesn't have the authority to order their arrests in other states. For now, Texas is paralyzed in this "game of chicken" between Abbot and the Democrats.

What's Happening in California?

In California, the electoral conflict is a little different. California Governor Newsom has proposed his own Gerrymandering plan which would essentially eliminate Republican pressure in the state. Newsom explained that this proposal was motivated by the restructuring Abbott is seeking in Texas.

Newsom maintains that if Republicans are willing to alter election rules, Democrats must respond accordingly. The challenge Newsom faces is the fact that in California, unlike in Texas, redistricting is the responsibility of a separate committee, not the House and governor. However, Newsom and his allies expressed optimism that the committee will approve his plan.

Texas vs California

Newsom was very clear in stating that if Texas engages in gerrymandering, California will follow suit. This second "game of chicken" concludes our summary of the current political landscape in both states. The pressure is on, and the resolution of this conflict will undoubtedly have national repercussions.

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Sources:

• AP NEWS
• POLITICAL