Overlook Texas.
And neglect these Texas Democrats who, like unlawful immigrants, fled to sanctuary cities like Chicago and New York to keep away from a vote on gerrymandering the state’s congressional districts.
Some even trickled into sanctuary Boston to attend final week’s Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures, the place, paradoxically, searching for frequent floor was a significant theme.
Gov. Maura Healey warmly welcomed them as if they had been unlawful immigrants.
But when politicians actually need to learn about gerrymandering congressional districts to realize energy, all of them ought to examine Massachusetts.
We invented it.
Or, I ought to say, Gov. Elbridge Gerry did. He was governor of Massachusetts when he signed a invoice in 1812 that created a partisan state Senate district that appeared like a mythological salamander (lizard) to profit his social gathering.
An enterprising reporter from the Boston Gazette took Gerry’s title and fused it with “mander” from salamander and, therefore, the phrase gerrymander, with all its detrimental implications, was born.
It has been with us ever since. It additionally has given Gov. Gerry a nasty rap. Whereas he’s credited, or discredited, for the follow of gerrymandering, all his different accomplishments have been forgotten.
He was a Founding Father, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a diplomat, a governor and vp below President James Madison.
However he’s remembered for gerrymandering. That’s historical past for you.
Redistricting of the states’ 435 U.S. Home seats follows the once-in-a-decade inhabitants depend by the U.S. Census Bureau. States with rising populations (unlawful immigrants) achieve seats on the expense of states with declining populations.
There isn’t any stipulation that stops states from redrawing districts in the course of the last decade, like Texas is doing now.
At President Donald Trump behest, the Republican managed state Legislature in Texas is withdrawing its district traces to higher improve the election of 5 extra Republicans since Trump carried the state in 2024 by 56 per cent over 42 per cent over Democrat Kamala Harris.
Trump obtained 36 per cent of the vote in Massachusetts however that’s not going to make any distinction to the state’s Democrat managed political make-up.
Massachusetts is such a gerrymandered Democratic one-party state that it simply as properly put up indicators on the state border warning Republicans to remain away or studying NRA —No Republicans Allowed.
It’s a state that’s extra welcoming of unlawful immigrants than it’s of Republicans.
And if there may be any doubt of that, simply examine the greater than $1 billion a yr progressive Democrat Gov. Maura Healey is shelling out to pay for the care and well-being of unlawful immigrants from around the globe who’ve flocked to Massachusetts to partake of its overly beneficiant welfare advantages.
Democrats have gerrymandered the state’s congressional districts to the purpose that every one 9 Massachusetts members of the U.S. Home are Democrats.
Excluding the fluke election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate in 2010 — who was shortly ousted by radical leftist Democrat Elizabeth Warren–there has not been a Republican elected to the U.S. Home from Massachusetts in virtually thirty years.
The final Republicans to carry a congressional seat in Massachusetts had been Peter Blute of Worcester and Peter Torkildsen of Danvers. Each had been elected in 1992, defeating a pair of troubled Democrats—Joe Early and Nick Mavroules.
After which each had been ousted in 1996 by Democrats James McGovern, who nonetheless maintain the seat, and John Tierney, who was later defeated by fellow Democrat Seth Mouton.
There has not been a Republican elected since. And don’t search for one other to be elected anytime quickly—if ever.
So, let’s hear it for Gov. Eldridge Gerry, and Maura Healey, too.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas will be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
