Underrated consequence of gerrymandering; weakening bench of opposition party?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That reminds me of how before the 2000 redistricting Sherrod Brown represented a swing district. The Ohio Republicans feared him running statewide so they told him that they would draw him a safe seat in exchange for him promising to not run statewide. Brown basically said "sure, pink swear I won't."

And then in 2006 he did anyway.