With last week’s actions in Texas and California, the movement to further divide our country by gerrymandering continues. The immediate goal of Texas legislators (following directions from Donald Trump) is to influence the 2026 midterm elections so Republicans can maintain control of the House of Representatives. The purpose of the California response, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is to thwart the attempt in Texas. It will not end here. Other states, both red and blue, will join the fray.
Attempting to undermine the will of the voters and manipulate the outcome of the House race in 2026 is un-American and should not be underestimated. However, there is a much greater, and far more destructive result of unrestricted gerrymandering. It will certainly exacerbate the existing political divide and could literally succeed in tearing this country apart.
If the trend continues, nearly half the congressional districts will be drawn to favor the Republican candidate and nearly half will be drawn to favor the Democrat candidate. There will likely be no more than a handful of competitive districts remaining throughout the country. This will place greater emphasis on primary elections, with candidates in each party appealing more to the extremists in their respective parties. As long as they have the support of their party, whether R or D, they will not need to be concerned about moderate, independent, or voters from the other party when they run in the general election.
This will set the stage for never-ending battles between hard-left and hard-right members of the House. Their allegiance will be to their respective parties and not to the citizens in their districts they are supposed to represent. However, if there were a movement to permanently ban gerrymandering and require redistricting to be conducted by independent, non-partisan commissions designed to be as fair and representative as possible, then most districts would be relatively competitive. Politicians would need to be more sensitive to the needs of all voters they represent and less beholden to the demands of their party.
Our Founding Fathers were well aware there are many differences among citizens of this country. They designed a system in which we should be able to work together for the benefit of all. This atmosphere of extreme partisanship being reinforced by gerrymandering is tearing the country apart and may end in our own self-destruction. Let’s get it together before it’s too late.
Jack Crawford
Saugus
