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Welcome to The Logoff: After a significant Supreme Courtroom resolution, President Donald Trump is pushing Republicans to redistrict much more aggressively.
What’s occurring? On Thursday, Trump mentioned in a put up that Tennessee’s governor would “work onerous to appropriate” the state’s congressional map with a view to “give us one further seat” in Congress.
It’s the newest signal that, following the brand new Supreme Courtroom opinion, Republicans will attempt to decide up much more seats forward of the 2026 midterms by additional gerrymandering a number of totally different states, together with Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida.
What’s the context? On Wednesday, the Courtroom dominated 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais to strike down a provision of the Voting Rights Act banning racial gerrymandering.
As my colleague Ian Millhiser defined, the upshot of the ruling isn’t simply that the Courtroom’s six conservative justices have additional weakened the Voting Rights Act; the choice is a full-throated endorsement of essentially the most aggressive gerrymandering schemes potential, and Republican politicians — together with Trump — are taking word.
How did this begin? Trump can be the one who kicked all of this off final yr, when his White Home determined to strain Texas right into a uncommon mid-decade redistricting scheme. Texas efficiently created about 5 extra Republican seats within the US Home — in all probability — by redrawing its maps, however within the course of, launched a wider battle.
How’s the mathematics trying? Till lately, it appeared just like the redistricting wars might have backfired on Republicans, or at finest ended with a stalemate. Earlier this month, Virginia voters accredited a referendum to attract new maps creating 4 extra Democratic seats, giving the get together a slight edge nationally.
Since then, nonetheless, Florida has gotten concerned; earlier this week, its legislature handed new maps netting 4 new Republican seats. On Thursday, Louisiana additionally suspended its about-to-begin congressional primaries to offer it time to redraw its maps in response to the Callais resolution. And if Tennessee Republicans make good on Trump’s put up, the get together might internet one other seat too.
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
Hello readers — should you, like me, occur to stay in Washington, DC, I’ve some pretty particular excellent news for you. At present, the solar will set at 8 pm right here for the primary time this yr, and we received’t get a sundown sooner than 8 pm once more till August. With that in thoughts, let’s go sign off and revel in some sunshine — we’ll see you again right here in Might (which is, in some way, tomorrow).
