Hi John,

Politicians are threatening to silence the voices of the people in their states in a bid to stay in power, using gerrymandering as their tool. 

Elected officials in Texas have proposed a new district map that heavily favors Republicans, and California and New York are threatening to follow suit to favor Democrats.

Let's break down what's happening. 

Everything is bigger in Texas, even gerrymandering. 

In June, President Trump's political operation approached Texas Republicans about redrawing the Texas congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms. Currently, Republicans hold only a 3-seat majority in the House of Representatives. 

The proposed map unveiled by Texas Republicans could potentially net Republicans between three and five seats if enacted, impacting districts in the historically Democratic-leaning areas of Austin, Dallas and Houston. 

Democratic lawmakers fled the state in protest, denying Republicans the necessary quorum to vote on enacting the new map. The FBI may now be involved to find the Texas Democrats.  

In response, California and New York both said they would consider redrawing their maps to favor Democrats. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul even said "we are at war, and that’s why the gloves are off."

And now, smaller states are getting involved, with Vice President JD Vance heading to Indiana, in a likely attempt to push for redistricting there. 

Congressional maps are supposed to reflect the views of the electorate, not benefit one party or another. That's never been a reality in the United States – gerrymandering began in 1812 – but it's always been the goal. 

If states openly battle each other with Congressional maps as the weapon, there are no winners and everyday Americans lose. All that will happen is more political extremism, more gridlock, and more dysfunction. Meanwhile, the voices of people actually in those districts will not be heard. 

This isn't a matter of one side being right and the other wrong. It's a matter of politicians being more interested in gaining and maintaining power than in working for the good of their district. 

It's time we held politicians accountable for serving their constituents, not themselves. Will you help fund our work and be a part of the movement making real, meaningful change?