JD Vance: Countering Democratic Gerrymandering

In a recent interview on Meet the Press, Vice President JD Vance defended Republican redistricting efforts as a response to what he considers aggressive manipulation of electoral districts by Democrats over the past 10 to 20 years. Vance argued that, for example, in Massachusetts, where 32% of voters chose Republican candidates, there is no Republican representation in the House of Representatives, which he considers a distortion of the democratic system.

To better understand this claim, it is important to consider the concept of "gerrymandering," or partisan manipulation of electoral districts. In Massachusetts, despite Republicans receiving a significant share of the popular vote, district distribution has resulted in exclusively Democratic representation in the House of Representatives since 1994. Vance maintains that Republican redistricting efforts are not intended to gain a disproportionate partisan advantage, but rather to correct what they see as an injustice in political representation.