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"This is an attack on democracy," said the head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. "Trump and Republicans in Congress know that they cannot win fairly in 2026, so they are demanding that Abbott cheat."
As the death toll rises and recovery efforts continue in the wake of disastrous flooding in central Texas, the state's Republican governor announced Wednesday that an upcoming special legislative session will include an effort to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to include a rare mid-decade redistricting push on the special session agenda drew immediate outcry from Democratic lawmakers and pro-democracy advocates, who accused the Republican leader of trying to boost his party's electoral prospects at a time when his focus should be on flood response, recovery, and future prevention.
"While search and recovery is ongoing, this black-hearted governor added a partisan power grab to a 30-day agenda that should be all about ensuring this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN," Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-49) wrote on social media.
"I am often disappointed in Greg Abbott," Hinojosa added, "but this is revolting."
The special session is set to begin on July 21, and the agenda Abbott unveiled Wednesday does include several items related to the disastrous flooding that killed at least 120 people.
But the redistricting item, buried near the bottom of the agenda outline, sparked immediate ire and warnings that the Texas governor is doing U.S. President Donald Trump's bidding. Last month, The New York Times reported that Trump's political team "is encouraging Republican leaders in Texas to examine how House district lines in the state could be redrawn ahead of next year's midterm elections to try to save the party's endangered majority."
The state's congressional map is already aggressively gerrymandered. The Biden Justice Department sued over the maps in late 2021, but the Trump administration dropped the legal fight earlier this year.
"Now, Texas Republicans want to enact an even more egregious gerrymander, because they are afraid of voters who are furious with their unpopular MAGA agenda and horrific budget bill."
In a July 7 letter to Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Trump Justice Department urged the state's officials to redraw four districts—three of which are currently represented by Democrats and one that is vacant but was previously represented by late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner.
Abbott's Wednesday announcement of the special session agenda specifically cites the Justice Department's letter, which claimed the four targeted districts amount to unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Abbott's office called for the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature to craft "legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice."
John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement Wednesday that "despite the fact that Texas is in a state of emergency, instead of focusing on the well-being of his constituents, Governor Abbott's focus is how Republicans can enact a mid-decade gerrymander to secure unearned power ahead of the 2026 midterm elections."
"Texas' congressional map already silences the voices of thousands of Texans," said Bisognano. "That's why Texas voters have spent the last three years in court challenging it for violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Now, Texas Republicans want to enact an even more egregious gerrymander, because they are afraid of voters who are furious with their unpopular MAGA agenda and horrific budget bill."
"This is an attack on democracy," he added. "Trump and Republicans in Congress know that they cannot win fairly in 2026, so they are demanding that Abbott cheat."
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also denounced Abbott's ploy, saying that the governor's "full attention should be focused on flood rescue and recovery efforts."
"Instead, he's using this tragic moment to plot a gerrymandering scheme while families are still reeling from a devastating disaster," said Martin. "Republicans have already gone all-in on taking away healthcare, taking away food, and raising costs on families. Now, they want to disenfranchise Texas voters during a dire emergency. This is despicable and needs to be called out."
In focusing on Trump’s shocking amorality we risk sliding over a painful truth we must embrace to create the democracy we need and want: His rise is a symptom.
Americans are waking up to President Donald Trump’s assaults on our democracy. In just four years, his documented lies have topped 30,000. He has also broken laws, including his attempts to dismantle government agencies, his blatant conflicts of interest with Elon Musk, and his disregarding courts on a number of fronts. We honor those courageously stepping up to hold Trump accountable—from Indivisible to Common Cause to Democracy Forward, and many more citizen-organizing efforts.
But our appropriate outrage might hide a danger—that in focusing on Trump’s shocking amorality we could slide over a painful truth we must embrace to create the democracy we need and want: His rise is a symptom. Donald Trump was able to triumph because of deep dysfunction long built into our governing structures. While we must resist his actions and work to limit the immediate damage, we must also commit to fighting for an even more democratic future, free of our current limitations.
Simply put, some features of our democracy are baked-in barriers to one-person-one-vote. The Senate, to name one. Wyoming, with a population of just over half a million has the same number of Senate seats as California, home to nearly 40 million. In other words, a voter in Wyoming has almost 68 times greater representation than a voter in much more densely populated California.
Our fight can’t merely be against Trump but in pursuit of a positive vision of an America where each of us counts, and we work together building the world we want.
And the challenges don’t stop there. Gerrymandering of electoral districts—the redrawing of district lines to favor the party in power—creates unrepresentative legislatures. As a result, one report found Republicans had an advantage of about 16 House seats in 2024’s congressional election. And then, there’s voter suppression as well as the hugely corrupting role of money in politics and the limits of our two-party system.
Despite being unfit, Trump rose to power in large measure because our antidemocratic rules have led to deep dissatisfaction with government that he was able to tap. Indeed, it’s been nearly four decades since 60% of us expressed satisfaction with “the way democracy was working.”
Since then, approval has tumbled steeply. By early 2023, just 28% of U.S. adults expressed satisfaction with how our democracy is working. And by early 2025 well more than half of Americans—61 percent—remained dissatisfied.
And Americans’ view of our standing in the world?
Despite deep doubts about our democracy, interestingly, over half of us still see our country as one of the world’s greatest. One in five even place the us at the top, and only 27% acknowledge there are better democracies.
Hmm. Self-perception can be self-deception: In global comparisons we rate shockingly low. Each year, Freedom House, founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, ranks nations by the quality of their political rights and civil liberties—a reasonable measure of democracy.
Sadly, the U.S. ranks 57th worldwide, and not even in the ballpark of nations we imagine to be our peers. Almost all European Union nations rank in the top 25.
Really? That bad?
Yes. So, how do we explain the disconnect? And how might we use this bad news for good?
Domestically, we know that there are deep roots to dissatisfaction with our democracy. But it’s not just the structural features named above: At the same time, our extreme economic inequality—deeper than more than 100 nations—means economic stress for most Americans, even as we hold onto the myth that we’re a middle-class country.
Still, the myth of American exceptionalism blinds us.
Instead, let us heed this truth: Be it a rocky marriage or a sprained ankle, healing starts when we get honest with ourselves—when we stop averting our eyes, making excuses, or just hoping one day it will all go away.
Today, as our democracy is diminishing before our eyes; let’s drop these dangerous escapes and choose constructive action. The good news in our sad scores is proof of possibility—hard evidence that we can do better as we learn lessons from the leading democracies.
So, let our dissatisfaction fuel determination and bold action. Our fight can’t merely be against Trump but in pursuit of a positive vision of an America where each of us counts, and we work together building the world we want.
Democracy is not a dull duty but a thrilling vision and empowering action.
Early voting is underway for the April 1 election to determine ideological control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and right-wing billionaire Elon Musk recently admitted why he is pouring millions of dollars into the close contest: It "will decide how congressional districts are drawn" in the state.
As Mother Jones' Ari Berman reported Tuesday, Musk—the richest person in the world and a key figure in Republican President Donald Trump's administration—made that comment Saturday, while hosting the right-wing candidate, Judge Brad Schimel of Waukesha County, and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), for a discussion on X, the billionaire's social media platform.
Musk said that if Judge Susan Crawford of Dane County wins, "then the Democrats will attempt to redraw the districts and cause Wisconsin to lose two Republican seats. In my opinion that's the most important thing, which is a big deal given that the congressional majority is so razor-thin. It could cause the House to switch to Democrat if that redrawing takes place."
Liberals have had a 4-3 majority on the swing state's highest court since the 2023 election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz. Crawford and Schimel are fighting for a 10-year term filling the seat now occupied by 74-year-old left-leaning Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who decided not to seek reelection. In addition to determining the future of Republicans' 6-2 advantage for congressional districts, next week's election is expected to impact abortion care, labor rights, and voter suppression efforts in Wisconsin.
From @ariberman.bsky.social: Elon Musk revealed why he's spending millions to flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court It’s all about preserving gerrymandered districts that lock in Republican power. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
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— Joe Sudbay (@joesudbay.bsky.social) March 25, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Berman noted that if Crawford won and Wisconsin's maps changed before the 2026 midterm elections, a Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Represntatives could "scrutinize the unprecedented role Musk is playing in shredding the federal government, accessing sensitive personal information on millions of Americans, and the $38 billion in federal funding his businesses receive."
The billionaire also has a personal stake in the race related to one of his businesses. As The New York Times noted Saturday: "A conservative-controlled court could be in a position to issue a Musk-friendly decision in a lawsuit from his electric car company, Tesla, challenging Wisconsin's law prohibiting vehicle manufacturers from owning dealerships. On social media, Mr. Musk began to show interest in the Wisconsin court election eight days after Tesla filed the lawsuit in January."
Crawford campaign spokesperson Derrick Honeyman told The Associated Press on Monday that "this race is the first real test point in the country on Elon Musk and his influence on our politics, and voters want an opportunity to push back on that and the influence he is trying to make on Wisconsin and the rest of country."
As of Tuesday, Musk has recently given at least $3 million to the state's Republican Party, according to WisPolitics—which has also "tracked nearly $19.5 million in spending" on the race by two political action committees (PACs) affiliated with the billionaire.
GOP paid canvasser shows depth of support for Schimel. None. www.jsonline.com/story/news/p...
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— Mark Pocan (@markpocan.bsky.social) March 25, 2025 at 9:58 AM
As Common Dreams reported last week, Musk's America PAC is also offering registered Wisconsin voters $100 if they sign a petition opposing "activist judges," which led critics to accuse the billionaire of trying to buy the state Supreme Court seat.
Those critics include the Working Families Party, which has sent a pair of emails in recent days highlighting how much Musk has spent "to install MAGA extremist Brad Schimel" on the court, and arguing that "Wisconsin voters should get to decide this election, not the richest billionaire in the world."
Forbes reported Tuesday that "Musk is far from the only billionaire who is financially backing the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Among the other billionaires listed in public filings as spending thousands to support Schimel—either directly or through the Wisconsin Republican Party—are ABC Supply co-founder Diane Hendricks, Uline president Elizabeth Uihlein, Uline CEO Richard Uihlein, and Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade and owner of the Chicago Cubs. Crawford has also drawn significant billionaire support from the likes of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Democratic megadonor George Soros, who gave the Wisconsin Democratic Party $1 million in January."
WisPolitics noted Tuesday that "Crawford has now reported $26.5 million raised, a record for any judicial candidate in U.S. history," while Schimel "has now raised $14.3 million." However, according to Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, dark money on the race is favoring the right-wing candidate.
"It's already the most expensive judicial race in American history," Waldman said in a Tuesday newsletter. "According to data collected by the Brennan Center and analyzed by my colleagues Ian Vandewalker and Douglas Keith, campaigns and committees have spent $81 million so far, with a week to go."
"Much of the money being spent is untraceable," he stressed. "As the latest data shows, Crawford's campaign spending of $22 million is more than double that of Schimel's $10.4 million. But independent groups like super PACs and nonprofits spending untraceable dark money favor Schimel by a much larger margin: $13.5 million benefiting Crawford compared with almost $35.5 million boosting Schimel."
Schimel also got a boost on Friday from Trump, who endorsed him on social media, writing in part that "Radical Left Liberal Susan Crawford... is the handpicked voice of the Leftists who are out to destroy your State, and our Country." The president added Saturday: "It's a really big and important race, and could have much to do with the future of our Country. Get out and VOTE, NOW, for the Republican Candidate—BRAD!!!"
Meanwhile, Crawford is backed by groups like Wisconsin Conservation Voters IEC, which has invested more than $1.13 million to turn voters out in support of her.
"The stakes in this election could not be higher," the group's deputy director, Seth Hoffmeister, said in a Tuesday statement. "Judge Susan Crawford will defend our democracy and protect Wisconsin's natural resources. She is a strong advocate for the values that make Wisconsin great—fairness, accountability, and a commitment to serving the people, not polluters. Judge Crawford will ensure that our State Supreme Court remains independent and dedicated to upholding the rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites."