Red States Push to Eliminate Democratic House Members—Is a National Gerrymandering War Coming?

(Photo illustration by The Bulwark / Photos: Shutterstock)

Republican-controlled states are accelerating efforts to erase their lone Democratic House members from congressional delegations. Louisiana and Tennessee are moving quickly to eliminate their remaining Democratic representatives, while South Carolina and Alabama are on the brink of doing the same. Indiana is expected to join this trend before the 2028 elections.

This wave of redistricting could trigger retaliatory measures from blue states, which have learned that dismantling anti-gerrymandering protections amounts to political suicide. The result? A rapidly expanding race to create single-party congressional delegations nationwide.

South Carolina’s Gerrymandering Battle Intensifies

Jacob Rubashkin highlights growing Republican divisions in South Carolina over the state’s proposed congressional map. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey warned reporters that the new map “confirms the concerns that I’ve had all along.”

Massey cautioned that a future Democratic president could face an uncompetitive state delegation if South Carolina’s lone Democrat is removed. His dilemma: comply with Trump’s demands for aggressive gerrymandering or risk being ousted from the party.

“Says there will be another democratic president. And drawing out our lone Democrat could be bad for the state. Shane Massey has to choose between gerrymandering and getting pushed out of the party by Trump.”

Redistricting as the First Step in a Winner-Take-All Fight

The escalation in gerrymandering signals more than just partisan map-drawing—it marks the beginning of a broader shift toward winner-take-all politics. Analysts warn that this redistricting battle could set the stage for even deeper political divisions in the years ahead.

“Redistricting isn’t the endpoint of winner-take-all politics. It’s the start of it,” the article notes. “You want to get really dark about where we’re headed? Well buckle your chinstraps, boys and girls. Because this is about to get bad.”