Republicans used redistricting to build a wall around the House. Trump just tore it down.

[DonViejo]

GOP gerrymandering did not envision the upending of the Republican coalition.

By SCOTT BLAND and ELENA SCHNEIDER 11/13/2018 05:02 AM EST

For years, some Democrats said gerrymandering was an insurmountable roadblock to the House majority that couldn’t be cleared until after the 2020 census. Then along came President Donald Trump.

House Democrats steamrolled Republicans in an array of districts last week, from those drawn by independent commissions or courts, to seats crafted specifically by Republicans with the intention of keeping them in the GOP column.

The overriding factor: a Republican president who political mapmakers could not have foreseen at the beginning of the decade. Trump altered the two parties’ coalitions in ways that specifically undermined conventional wisdom about the House map, bringing more rural voters into the GOP tent while driving away college-educated voters.

The trade worked in some states. But it was a Republican disaster in the House, where well-off suburbs, once the backbone of many GOP districts, rebelled against Trump in 2016 and then threw out House members in 2018.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/13/republicans-trump-redistricting-house-2018-984947

[tanyev]

1. Womp-womp.

[donco]

2. In the Show-Me

Amendment 1(redistricting) passed 62% for against 38%.

https://www.kmov.com/news/voters-approve-missouri-amendment-overhauling-redistricting-process-and-campaign-finance/article_03c75424-e240-11e8-a662-6fe3a7563d7c.html

[NewJeffCT]

4. yay Missouri

I see they have 8 Congressional districts - 2 have Democrats, 6 have Republicans. If they have a non-partisan division, it could change from 6:2 to 5:3.

[Zambero]

3. Fast forward to 2018

As a result of redistricting, the blue districts remain solidified, while a significant share of the The red districts are now competitive. The only firewall remaining is a blue one. Nice "win"!

[Scurrilous]

5. K&R

[Gothmog]

6. Gerrymanders can help in close races but not in wave elections

[Eric J in MN]

7. In MN, 4 districts changed party; no net change.

Two Republican US House districts in the suburbs became Democratic.

Two Democratic US House districts in rural areas became Republican.