Gerrymander Much?
Posted by beccadot@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 56 comments
I live in Far North Dallas, in the City of Dallas, but southern Collin County. I looked up my representative’s name to send a message about the budget bill, and happened to look at the map of the district. I live off Frankford and the Tollway, and my district goes ALL THE WAY TO TEXARKANA!!! There are these little thin bands going down from the main body of the district to encompass my neighborhood. In other words, to negate the effects of people in cities to be outnumbered by people in rural areas. I know we’re not the only one (if you really want to look at gerrymandering, look at Jim Jordan’s district in Ohio) but it is maddening to have our views shouted down by rural areas who are overwhelmingly Republican. No way this district reflects the views of any Democrats.
VanGoghsEar2025@reddit
Welcome to Texas politics
QuantumWannabe@reddit
Welcome to literally the entire country. Every state, regardless of the party in control, gerrymanders districts.
ilikeengnrng@reddit
Sure, but Republicans were the beneficiaries of majority of the gerrymandering after the 2020 census.
Furrealyo@reddit
One of the reasons to push for the removal of illegals so hard is to dilute the House representation of blue states.
Illegals can’t vote (usually), but they are counted in the census and can drive representative counts up. It’s predicted that Cali alone will lose 4-5 seats in the next cycle.
dallassoxfan@reddit
Conversely you just acknowledged the very real strategy of open borders to benefit democrats. At least someone finally admitted it.
Furrealyo@reddit
It’s was absolutely Dem strategy. Even the most conservative estimate has 12 million people streaming across the border in 4 years.
Now the Republican strategy is to unwind this as quickly as possible. With passage of the BBB, ICE is now (by far) the largest federal law enforcement agency in the history of the world, and has a budget that is higher than the total defense budgets of all but 15 nations on earth.
southpalito@reddit
But how is that an “strategy”? What is the “strategy”.? It’s a population that has been around for decades, will never be able to vote, and just works, pay taxes and stays in the shadows.
Furrealyo@reddit
The population grew exponentially in the last 4 years. They cannot vote (legally), but they are counted in the census which drives House seat counts in congress.
More people = more seats = more power.
Cali is already on track to lose 4-5 seats to Texas/Florida due to negative net migration, and that’s a problem for the Democrats.
southpalito@reddit
But that makes zero sense. So people are moving from CA to TX/FL because it’s too expensive but simultaneously tens of millions of the poorest undocumented people have moved in CA inflating the census numbers there, and surprisingly they didn’t move to the hot growing job markets in TX or FL.
DDDavinnn@reddit
What open borders? Literally not one president has ever run on that. Obama deported 3.1 million people, and Trump will probably beat that by the end of this term, but he’s not close yet. Please stop spouting propaganda.
PokeMeRunning@reddit
That’s stupid by the same logic Texas loses 2 or 3 seats
Furrealyo@reddit
Florida (+875K) and Texas (+747K) have had the largest net migration for several years now. They don’t need the undocumented to pump up the representation.
California is dead last in net migration and has lost >1.2MM people in the last 5 years. NY is 2nd to last at -1MM. Illinois is 3rd to last with -500K.
See a pattern?
PokeMeRunning@reddit
Corporate corruption? I’m not following your disingenuous two sided logic.
These states I think are good didn’t count immigrants and these states I think are bad did? Is that what you thought you were subtly implying?
Furrealyo@reddit
The census is national and counts all residents, regardless of immigration status.
States with more residents get more House seats. Cali, NY, and Illinois (blue states) are bleeding residents. Texas and Florida (red states) are gaining tons of people. Because of this, these red states will take House seats away from these blue states, thereby reducing blue’s overall congressional power.
Receipts:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_net_migration
Asklepios@reddit
That’s another reason ICE concentration camps are in red states. Higher census counts.
Skinny_Phoenix@reddit
The net change to removing them from the census is zero house seats but keep on with your fever dream that it matters. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/07/24/how-removing-unauthorized-immigrants-from-census-statistics-could-affect-house-reapportionment/
KellyAnn3106@reddit
Prison populations are also counted towards representation. Rural areas dont mind having prisons (and possibly the new detention camps) as it boosts their numbers without actual voters.
Furrealyo@reddit
Yup.
Cali, NY, and Illinois have lost more residents in the last 5 years than the other 47 states…combined.
Blue is in trouble.
dsaint@reddit
The state of California has an independent committee draw the lines. Politicians have criticized it for turning safe seats into competitive seats.
Buy-Hype-Sell-News@reddit
"Independent" committee drew lines to make 40% of vote total worth 17% of voter representation.
rickcinbigd@reddit
Bingo.... where the politicians pick their constituents, and everyone just seems to be okay with it.
LittleSugar05@reddit
Oh, you just know this map was drawn by an algorithm designed to dilute votes. It's truly infuriating to see how blatantly they carve these up. Makes you wonder what the point of voting is sometimes, when the lines are drawn to ensure a predetermined outcome.
beccadot@reddit (OP)
In Texas, our biggest problem is people not voting. We have to get people out to vote. I know it won’t make any difference in my district, but there are others that van be won.
MaelstromTX@reddit
You think that’s bad. They drew the city of Denton in with the same district that represents Amarillo and the rest of the panhandle.
tooheavybroo@reddit
How does this shit happen???
YOLOSELLHIGH@reddit
The republicans have rigged every level of government and democrats have not and will not do anything about it
23mou-sapnu-puas@reddit
If you think it’s the two parties are at opposite ends of a political spectrum, you’re already part of the problem.
Theater of the mind.
YOLOSELLHIGH@reddit
I don't think that. I hate both parties. However, one of them at least inches us along the social progress path. They're also a known quantity, one we can easily fight once we get them installed.
23mou-sapnu-puas@reddit
Social progress optically but isn’t it convenient that they only trot that platform out when they need you to go to the polls?
Skinny_Phoenix@reddit
I know you think you're very smart but this is brainless ignorant logic. One party added trillions to the deficit, killed insurance for millions, and made billionaires wealthier this week. The parties aren't the same, even if your teenage brain thinks that's a wise observation.
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Shartfartaway@reddit
Both parties suck, but, if you can’t tell the difference between them, you’re already part of the problem.
23mou-sapnu-puas@reddit
Work in government and understand they both want the same thing. To screw you over.
Furrealyo@reddit
This. Blind allegiance to any party is asinine.
all2neat@reddit
First time?
technic_aguilar@reddit
this government needs to change
mmarc76@reddit
Wait till you have to go to 2 different polling places for city/country..I used to live off Frankford and till, it was a burden to be a voter
sassyboy12345@reddit
Yes. This makes sense. This is how they win. The draw the lines that make in near impossible for them to lose !
Furrealyo@reddit
In 2024, Trump won Texas by a margin of over 1.5 million votes, the second-largest margin of victory for any presidential candidate in Texas history. Trump won 242 out of the state's 254 counties, the most for a Republican since 1972.
Gerrymandering wasn’t a factor.
beccadot@reddit (OP)
Which means we need to pay more attention to the state legislature.
bemvee@reddit
Yep. We’re in a packed district.
SnooObjections6485@reddit
Yeah, I live in Arlington and my district goes out almost to Abilene—just a little sliver of Arlington.
trusttheseance@reddit
You can look at all the maps right here
mylinuxguy@reddit
Gerrymandering has been going on since 1812 or even earlier..... it's not new. Both parties have benefited from it. If it was truly one sided, then the losing side would have done something about it in the 100+ years it been happening.
Same thing with ending filibusters. Each side uses it to their advantage and complains about it when it's being used against them.
Politics sucks
Principle_Dramatic@reddit
It sounds like you should keep them in the loop about what’s going on in Dallas. National funding for the DART etc etc
UnknownQTY@reddit
Hey neighbour!
amosborn@reddit
Are you also in that tiny curly que? I discovered the same earlier this year. Hello neighbor. I also hate our rep.
beccadot@reddit (OP)
So do I.
Buy-Hype-Sell-News@reddit
Republicans won 47% of house votes in illinois and took home 3/17 seats. 40% of house votes in california got 9/52 seats in california. Take your selective outrage to a dem state and let them lead the way on getting rid of gerrymandering.
ilikeengnrng@reddit
Newsweek cited Texas as one of the worst as far as gerrymandering goes. Why shouldn't a Texan start by fixing their own state? Let others fix theirs.
Buy-Hype-Sell-News@reddit
Any list that doesnt include illinois is simply partisan propoganda. 47% of vote = 18% representation. Democrats only complain that it happens in republican states. If they were actually against gerrymandering theyd stop doing it at home.
ilikeengnrng@reddit
I do not care about a state I do not live in because it is not my responsibility to fix other states' governments. I am complaining about Texas districts as a Texas resident. Trying to get me to fixate on a state I don't live in makes absolutely no sense
nesguy1@reddit
I’m familiar with where you live and it is outrageous how voters (in that part of Dallas) have their votes diluted with the blatant gerrymandering!
pirate40plus@reddit
Not much different than the 18th district, which has been democrats since its creation in 1972 and first held by Barbara Jordan.
ilikeengnrng@reddit
Yeah, this is pretty egregious. I don't understand how people aren't held accountable for this, and frankly, I think it's time that changed.
Senator Joan Huffman was the map's lead author.
She can be reached at her office in Austin at (512) 463-0117
TheWizard@reddit
Gerrymandering is an absolute necessity when your policies towards the general welfare either sucks or you don't have any. Racism is their last refuge.