Politico: Obama, Holder to lead post-Trump redistricting campaign

[ApatheticAustrian]

The former attorney general heads up a new Democratic effort to challenge the GOP's supremacy in state legislatures and the U.S. House.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/obama-holder-redistricting-gerrymandering-229868

The new group, called the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, was developed in close consultation with the White House. President Barack Obama himself has now identified the group—which will coordinate campaign strategy, direct fundraising, organize ballot initiatives and put together legal challenges to state redistricting maps—as the main focus of his political activity once he leaves office.

Though initial plans to be active in this year’s elections fell short, the group has been incorporated as a 527, with Democratic Governors Association executive director Elizabeth Pearson as its president and House Majority PAC executive director Ali Lapp as its vice president. They’ve been pitching donors and aiming to put together its first phase action plan for December, moving first in the Virginia and New Jersey state elections next year and with an eye toward coordination across gubernatorial, state legislative and House races going into the 2018 midterms.

[Person Man]

Is this what the Republicans in the 60s, 70s, and 80s referred to as "Operation Rat"? Where a huge amount of party resources were funneled into basically gerrymandering and "winning by losing"?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Great news. This is a really critical issue, and it's high time Democrats give it the attention it deserves.

[rob in cal]

   I think the ballot initiative approach might be a smart approach, but of the key states at stake, its only possible in Ohio and Michigan.

[Virginiá]

   I think the ballot initiative approach might be a smart approach, but of the key states at stake, its only possible in Ohio and Michigan.

If they know what is good for them, they will try at least Ohio in 2018 so that they can retry in 2020 if it fails. It's not a given there. For the life of me I can't understand why Democrats have not gotten redistricting reform on the ballot in Michigan yet. The GOP has controlled the legislature for decades and waiting until the last minute to try and prevent a new round of gerrymandering seems foolish.

[hopper]

   I think the ballot initiative approach might be a smart approach, but of the key states at stake, its only possible in Ohio and Michigan.

If they know what is good for them, they will try at least Ohio in 2018 so that they can retry in 2020 if it fails. It's not a given there. For the life of me I can't understand why Democrats have not gotten redistricting reform on the ballot in Michigan yet. The GOP has controlled the legislature for decades and waiting until the last minute to try and prevent a new round of gerrymandering seems foolish.

Well yes and no. Yes, The GOP has controlled the MI State Senate since Spring Time of 1984 because of 2 Dem Senators getting recalled because of a tax hike early in 1984.

No, The GOP has only controlled "The State House" from 1999-2006 basically and 2011-present. 1993-1994 was spilt control between the 2 Parties. 1995-1996 the GOP had a majority and 1997-1998 the Dems regained the majority until the GOP took over the majority in 1999 till 2006. 2007-2010 the Dems did regain the majority.

[Virginiá]

Well yes and no. Yes, The GOP has controlled the MI State Senate since Spring Time of 1984 because of 2 Dem Senators getting recalled because of a tax hike early in 1984.

No, The GOP has only controlled "The State House" from 1999-2006 basically and 2011-present. 1993-1994 was spilt control between the 2 Parties. 1995-1996 the GOP had a majority and 1997-1998 the Dems regained the majority until the GOP took over the majority in 1999 till 2006. 2007-2010 the Dems did regain the majority.

Right. Decades with an s should have been clarified but for the sake of brevity, it didn't seem warranted as my overall I was trying to say that Democrats lost overall control a long time ago and even with the wave of 2006, they never made any real inroads in the state senate.

But my point is this: what are Democrats waiting for? Do they seriously think they are just going to take back a legislature chamber and hold it through 2022 with maps slanted against them? Even if they somehow took the state house this year, they will very likely lose it in 2018. They should have went for a redistricting reform initiative already instead of punting it until the very last minute.

I don't know. Maybe I am too harsh or maybe I'm missing some important information here, but Michigan continues to be a symbol to me of how oblivious the Democrat Party seems to be in regards to ballot initiatives & long-term strategy. Florida is another example, but with voting rights. Why haven't they aggressively pushed something like SDR or auto voter reg and felony disenfranchisement reform? When you consider that almost a quarter of African American adults are disenfranchised, there are considerable benefits to this, especially given how close recent presidential & gubernatorial races have been in FL!

[BuckeyeNut]

Super important.

We passed a fair redistricting ballot initiative with ease (71-29) in 2015, but it only covers the State Legislature (and looks it will only be mildly effective). There's a natural movement building to follow it up with something to effect Congressional redistricting.

I'm curious why you say it can only happen in OH and MI, rob.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Well yes and no. Yes, The GOP has controlled the MI State Senate since Spring Time of 1984 because of 2 Dem Senators getting recalled because of a tax hike early in 1984.

No, The GOP has only controlled "The State House" from 1999-2006 basically and 2011-present. 1993-1994 was spilt control between the 2 Parties. 1995-1996 the GOP had a majority and 1997-1998 the Dems regained the majority until the GOP took over the majority in 1999 till 2006. 2007-2010 the Dems did regain the majority.

Right. Decades with an s should have been clarified but for the sake of brevity, it didn't seem warranted as my overall I was trying to say that Democrats lost overall control a long time ago and even with the wave of 2006, they never made any real inroads in the state senate.

But my point is this: what are Democrats waiting for? Do they seriously think they are just going to take back a legislature chamber and hold it through 2022 with maps slanted against them? Even if they somehow took the state house this year, they will very likely lose it in 2018. They should have went for a redistricting reform initiative already instead of punting it until the very last minute.

I don't know. Maybe I am too harsh or maybe I'm missing some important information here, but Michigan continues to be a symbol to me of how oblivious the Democrat Party seems to be in regards to ballot initiatives & long-term strategy. Florida is another example, but with voting rights. Why haven't they aggressively pushed something like SDR or auto voter reg and felony disenfranchisement reform? When you consider that almost a quarter of African American adults are disenfranchised, there are considerable benefits to this, especially given how close recent presidential & gubernatorial races have been in FL!

The only people who are even considering dealing with that are the most liberal states (i.e. California or Oregon). I'm not entirely sure why it is, but structural electoral reform doesn't seem to be a particularly important position among moderate Democrats despite the fact that it'd help them get elected in the first place.

[Virginiá]

Dem redistricting group clocks $10.8 million in first 6 months

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/31/democratic-redistricting-fundraising-obama-241154

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These are websites for this project:

http://www.unrigthemap.com/
http://www.dlcc.org/advantage-2020

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Didn't seem appropriate to create a whole new thread for this.