Choosing a consequential political issue today, especially in the heat of the election season, is very challenging. We might say all of the above when it comes to a survey of candidates supported by Donald Trump.
There are several critical mayoral and gubernatorial contests we experienced this week with broad national implications, most notably the one here between Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in New York City, and the race for governor between Democrat Mikie Sherrill who won against her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey. But let’s put those on hold and deal with something that ramifies on current and future elections: gerrymandering. Some years ago, a colleague of mine, Dr. Wayne Dawkins of Morgan State University, simplified the complexity of the term by describing it as “politicians picking their voters instead of voters picking their politicians.”
The concept dates back to the 19th century, when a Massachusetts governor created a partisan voting district in Boston. Its shape was said to resemble a mythological salamander, inspiring part of the term’s name. In effect, as it evolved over the years, particularly during the civil rights era, it meant the drawing of districts with an aim of discriminating against African Americans, diluting their ability to elect a candidate of their choice.
Gerrymandering is often confused with redistricting, which is a legal and neutral process that occurs every ten years. A critical difference between the two concepts is intent, which is at the center of the case in Louisiana that may be heard by the Supreme Court in a few weeks or sooner. If the court eviscerates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, in the same way it overturned Section 5 in 2013, a provision banning racial discrimination in voting would make it easier for the GOP to redraw several voting districts — potentially adding several additional congressional seats to its count.
At the crux of this endeavor is the midterm election of 2026 and the Trump-led initiative to help the GOP maintain its slim majority lead in the House of Representatives. At stake in this political drama is the possibility that mapmakers could redraw districts in Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee, potentially eliminating all their Democratic representatives. This is a scary scenario and far more consequential for national politics than any of the current election outcomes. But as we always say, comparisons are odious, and on the horizon for Black Americans is lack of options at all — or a Hobson’s choice of nightmares.