BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Every 10 years, following the census, states redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts to account for shifts in population.
The process — meant to ensure that elected bodies reflect the communities they serve — also happens locally, shaping the districts used to elect county commissioners, school board representatives and more.
However, redistricting also can be exploited by those in power who manipulate the maps to give an unfair advantage to certain parties or candidates, which is known as gerrymandering.
“Gerrymandering is nearly as old as America,” host Tom Shortell says in the opening of this week’s Political Pulse, pointing out how political parties have abused redistricting for their own benefit since the early 1800s.
Still, there’s little precedent for what we’re seeing now as multiple states work to redraw their congressional boundaries mid-decade, Shortell says.
He’s joined again this week by Muhlenberg College political scientist Chris Borick to break down the latest twists and turns, which began when Texas changed its congressional districts to benefit Republicans.
Lawmakers in Missouri are the latest to try to draw a new U.S. House map for the 2026 election to improve the Republican Party’s numbers in Congress, while California Democrats responded with their own map to try and help their party.
Ohio, Maryland, Indiana and New York also are exploring new maps of their own, Shortell said.
“Why is it that we haven’t seen this type of redistricting rhetoric take hold in the past?” he asked Borick.
“A lot of this I have to place in the White House right now,” Borick responded. “[President Donald Trump] has really been the catalyst to really bring this into play, and the politics of this is clear in my mind.
“You’ve got a midterm election coming up. It’s traditionally damaging for the president’s party, he has the most narrow of margins in the House. He’s looking for ways to try and preserve the House.”
From a strategic perspective, redistricting gives him an avenue to do that, Borick said.
To learn more, including how several prominent politicians and good government groups have held up Pennsylvania as an example of a gerrymandered state, check out this week’s episode of Political Pulse in the video player above.
