Dems circle the wagons by blaming GOP for their gerrymandering response ahead of midterms: 'Very desperate'

By Fox News · Fox News

Democratic lawmakers are defending redistricting efforts across the country, calling their efforts a necessary foil to similar Republican-led plans, while arguing vulnerable Republicans should have fought harder to prevent the "arms race" reshuffling district lines nationally. "I feel like the system is fundamentally broken, but let's be clear, Republicans began the redistricting arms race. And so, Democrats are left with no choice but to level the playing field for the sake of democracy," Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told Fox News Digital. Lawmakers' comments come as the Supreme Court handed down a decision on Wednesday, reshaping the framework of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and opening the door to the possibility of fresh redistricting efforts ahead of the 2026 midterms. In its 6-3 decision delivered along ideological lines on Wednesday, the court struck down Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, which was redrawn in 2024 to have a predominantly Black electorate. The court also ruled that states may not use race to either draw districts that disenfranchise voters or help minority communities support their preferred candidates. SUPREME COURT ORDERS NEW ARGUMENTS IN PIVOTAL ELECTIONS CASE It’s unclear which states may re-evaluate their maps in light of the decision. " This is a very nefarious thing that the Supreme Court has done, and it's a very desperate thing that Republicans are doing to cling to unearned power," Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said. Since President Donald Trump urged state lawmakers to expand the GOP’s 217-213 majority by eliminating five Democratic seats in Texas, states including California, Utah, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina have followed suit. Most recently, the Florida legislature approved a plan to eliminate up to four Democratic districts. DESANTIS LAUNCHES FLORIDA REDISTRICTING PUSH TO POTENTIALLY ADD MORE GOP HOUSE SEATS While most Democrats have laid blame for the avalanche of redistricting efforts on Trump, other…