Republicans Are Winning the Redistricting War

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KQED

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Both Democrats and Republicans have turned to redistricting to improve their chances in this fall’s midterm elections. But a recent court case striking down a Democrat-leaning redistricting map in Virginia and a Supreme Court decision rolling back the Voting Rights Act, have dimmed hopes for Democrats. All this while Republican state legislatures lock in maps that give their party an edge. We talk about what it all means for the midterm elections and beyond. Guests: Erin Covey, editor of the U.S. House of Representative, The Cook Political Report Kareem Crayton, vice president, Brennan Center for Justice's Washington, D.C. office; Crayton is an expert on redistricting Nick Corasaniti, reporter, the New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:57.7	It's time to be great. From KQED. Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. There's a nice technocratic
1:08.4	and persuasive case that democracy should have simple and fair districts for elections.
1:14.6	There might be slightly different definitions of fair, but overall, it's not difficult to imagine ways this could work.
1:20.6	But in our current real world, extreme gerrymandering to draw districts that wildly favor Republicans or Democrats have become the
1:29.1	norm. A state that, for example, might have 60% Republican and 40% Democratic voters might end up
1:35.5	with a House delegation that's 90% Republican. How'd we get to this place? And why aren't the
1:41.0	courts stopping it and what's it mean for the upcoming midterms here to discuss?
1:45.8	We've got Aaron Covey, who's editor of the U.S. for U.S. House of Representatives of the Cook Political Report.
1:52.7	Welcome, Aaron.
	...

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