Democrats are launching a redistricting counteroffensive across the country as they try to keep pace with the GOP’s aggressive gerrymandering ahead of next year’s midterms.
Recent developments in Virginia, New York and Illinois mark an escalation among Democrats after months of internal deliberations and inaction on how to combat President Donald Trump’s push to redraw congressional lines throughout the nation. He’s eyeing up to 19 new GOP seats as his party looks to retain its slim House majority, according to a POLITICO analysis.
The nascent Democratic rebuttal in recent days is the minority party’s most aggressive set of moves yet outside of California, where voters will decide next week whether to create a new congressional map that would grant the state five blue seats.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made stops in Chicago and Springfield, Illinois, with state and federal legislative leaders Monday on his latest swing to persuade local lawmakers to redraw their maps. Democrats could pick up one seat in the Prairie State.
