Why Mass. Democrats won't even consider nonpartisan redistricting
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.
Massachusetts is extremely unlikely to adopt a nonpartisan redistricting commission, the unelected panel of experts that redraws political districts to stop self-interested lawmakers from drawing maps themselves.
Why it matters: Even as other states experiment with reforms, Massachusetts Democrats who control all the levers of power cite two main reasons why they can handle the job themselves.
- The results have been fair.
- Republicans agree with them.
Zoom in: The idea of nonpartisan redistricting has captured the interest of some good government types since former President Obama urged states to establish commissions to root out unfair gerrymandering.
- California's commission has been drawing nonpartisan maps for 15 years. It's the check-and-balance panel Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to override to send additional Democrats to D.C. to counter Republicans' own gerrymandering plan in Texas.
President Trump, who won 36% of the vote here in 2024, claims Democratic gerrymandering has prevented any Mass. Republicans from being elected to Congress.
- But it would take a significant partisan effort on behalf of the GOP to draw a district in Massachusetts with enough conservatives to get a Republican elected.
- Democrats obviously don't have any political incentive to carve out a GOP district in Central or southeast Mass. just to appease their weaker political rivals.
Flashback: Even before this year's state redistricting tumult, Democratic leaders in Massachusetts rejected the need for a nonpartisan process.
State of play: The elected leaders in charge of the single-party legislative supermajority that runs Beacon Hill stand by the process of letting lawmakers redraw the congressional lines every ten years.
A spokesperson for House Speaker Ron Mariano told Axios the current maps fairly reflect Massachusetts' population and political landscape.
- The maps the House and Senate drew up were supported by both parties and signed into law by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.
- Only one Republican, former Rep. Lenny Mirra of Georgetown, voted against the maps.
When asked, Senate President Karen Spilka wouldn't address the possibility of establishing a nonpartisan commission.
- "Here in Massachusetts, we respect our Constitution and the rule of law. The Senate President expects that when the redistricting process begins after the federal census, we will continue to honor both," Spilka's spokesperson told Axios.
- Even the Massachusetts Republican Party wouldn't respond to Axios' requests to talk about a nonpartisan panel.
Yes, but: House Minority Leader Bradley Jones thinks one way to make congressional districts more competitive for the GOP would be to redraw them without considering the incumbent in the seat.
Jones frames redistricting manipulation as a universal political practice both parties are guilty of.
- He points to Massachusetts' own history of changing laws for partisan advantage, particularly regarding U.S. Senate appointments.
- Democrats took away GOP Gov. Mitt Romney's appointment power when it looked like John Kerry might be elected president in 2004. They switched it back to let Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick appoint an interim senator after Ted Kennedy died in 2009.
- "Your party has done the same thing. We did it in Massachusetts," Jones says to Democrats who insist that politics don't interfere with who the state sends to Congress.