Northwestern University is offering expert commentary on the increasing trend of mid-decade congressional redistricting in the United States. The issue has gained attention as states such as Virginia and North Carolina have recently advanced new congressional maps that could shift the balance of political power. Virginia Democrats announced plans to redraw districts, potentially securing additional seats for their party, while North Carolina Republicans approved a map expected to benefit their own party.
This activity follows similar redistricting efforts in Texas, California, and Missouri.
Erik Nisbet, professor of policy analysis and communication and director of the Center for Communication & Public Policy at Northwestern University, commented on the implications of these actions: “The tit-for-tat redistricting between Republicans and Democrats ahead of 2026 isn’t good political strategy; it’s democratic sabotage. Both parties are choosing partisan advantage over fair representation, guaranteeing more polarization, legislative gridlock and public cynicism about democracy. This is how democracies die.”
Alvin Tillery, professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern University, addressed the historical context and consequences: “Republican gerrymandering has distorted American democracy for more than a decade by allowing a minority of voters to hold majority power in many of the red states. These gains have been fueled by the Roberts’ Court’s partisan and racist agenda to overturn the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Democratic Party’s decision to respond with their own partisan gerrymanders where they can is the only tool left that will give us the ability to maintain a fair electoral system for the 2026 midterms. Beyond partisan self-defense, the Democratic Party’s pushback is the only way we will be able to preserve some semblance of the multiracial democracy that emerged in America in the 1950s and 1960s. Make no mistake about it, the Republicans do not want people of color to vote or have representation in Congress because they know that equal ballot access under fair maps means they lose power. So, in the long run, this redistricting arms race only stops when the Republicans get new incentives to stop cheating or we put in place a constitutional amendment changing the structure of our voting system.”
Michael Kang, Class of 1940 Professor of Law at Northwestern University and an authority on voting rights, is also available to discuss issues related to redistricting, campaign finance, and judicial elections.