Vance says GOP redistricting a ‘push back’ to Democrats ‘aggressively’ gerrymandering
The article reports on Vice President JD Vance’s comments regarding GOP-led mid-decade redistricting efforts.vance states that Republicans are pursuing redistricting primarily to counteract aggressive gerrymandering by Democrats in several states. He emphasizes that the goal is to create a fairer national political landscape rather than to gain an unfair advantage. Texas Republicans have recently passed a new congressional map adding five House seats favorable to the GOP, with expectations that Governor Greg Abbott will sign it soon. Meanwhile, California Democrats, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, are pushing for a November ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts.
Vance also criticizes California’s method of counting illegal immigrants in the census population totals used for congressional apportionment, arguing that this inflates the state’s number of House seats and diminishes portrayal that rightfully belongs to American citizens. He and others have called for a census that excludes illegal immigrants, even though current law requires counting all residents regardless of legal status.Other states, including Indiana, Missouri, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Maryland, are also considering redistricting efforts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Vance frames GOP redistricting as a necessary response to Democratic gerrymandering rather than an aggressive power grab.
Vance says GOP redistricting a ‘push back’ to Democrats ‘aggressively’ gerrymandering
Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said Republicans are only pursuing mid-decade redistricting to even the playing field against Democrats who are likewise engaging in gerrymandering.
“All we’re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair on a national scale,” Vance told NBC News host Kristen Welker on Meet the Press.
“Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that’s really all we’re doing,” he added.
Texas Republicans are leading the charge in redistricting by adding five more House seats that favor the GOP, with the Trump administration seeking to boost Republicans’ narrow majority in the House by the 2026 midterm elections. The Texas Senate passed the state’s newly redrawn congressional map on Saturday after the measure cleared the Texas House. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is expected to sign the bill soon.
To combat Republicans, California Democrats are actively pursuing a plan, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), that allows voters to decide this November whether or not the state’s congressional districts should be redrawn. The Democratic legislature passed bills on Thursday that set up the redistricting measure for a popular vote this fall. Shortly thereafter, Newsom signed the legislation.
Vance particularly takes issue with California’s total number of House seats because illegal immigrants are included in the state’s total population even though they can’t legally vote.
“They do go in the congressional apportionment. That’s why California has so many more seats is because they count illegal aliens,” he said. “They end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.”
The vice president made a similar argument on Fox News two weeks ago.
VANCE SAYS CALIFORNIA HAS ‘WAY MORE’ HOUSE SEATS THAN IT SHOULD BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Conducted every 10 years, the U.S. census counts all noncitizens living in the country regardless of their legal status. President Donald Trump has called for a new census that doesn’t include illegal immigrants. While a mid-decade census is permitted for distributing federal funding or other purposes, it cannot be used for reapportioning House seats or redistricting.
Republicans in Indiana, Missouri, and Florida, in addition to Democrats from Illinois, New York, and Maryland, are also considering redistricting their own maps by next year.
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