Supremes Protect Ralph Northam and Mark Herring’s Partisan Gerrymander
On Thursday, the Supreme Court announced that federal courts are not the place to fight about partisan gerrymanders. This ensures the Democratic partisan gerrymander in the Virginia State Senate, supported by Ralph Northam and Mark Herring, can stand unchallenged.
It is the second time this month the Supreme Court has made Virginia Democrats the beneficiary of partisan gerrymandering. Earlier this month, they used a partisan gerrymander to correct the alleged impropriety of using a too-high standard to ensure minority representation.
It also comes as welcome news to Maryland Democrats, who were able to reduce Republican presence down to just 1 representative through partisan gerrymandering. Also boosted by this decision are New Jersey Democrats and Illinois Democrats, who have used the reins of power to maximize electoral gains through partisan gerrymandering.
In response to the earlier Supreme Court case, Attorney General Mark Herring said it was time “that we implement fair and constitutional and representative districts for the next election.” It’s unclear what Herring means by this, since as a State Senator, he voted in favor of the lines that House Republicans were defending. He also voted in favor of a partisan gerrymander in the State Senate in which he served, including making his own district more Democratic and less fair and representative.
Clearly, in action and in word, Mark Herring only believes districts are “fair” and “representative” if they offer a partisan benefit to Democrats.
Governor Ralph Northam is no better. He said in a tweet “it’s like I’ve always said, voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.” Northam is lying about “always saying” this, of course, just like he lied about not being in blackface. The reason we know Northam is lying is because he, too, voted for the House Districts lines overturned by the Circuit Court, and for the partisan gerrymander in the State Senate that he, as a Democrat, benefited from.
It’s not like I expected consistency from a guy who can’t remember if he was the guy in blackface or the guy in a KKK hood, but it’s troubling to see everyone just go along with the myth that Virginia Democrats are so against partisan gerrymandering. They’re not; they’re just against it when Republicans do it. When Democrats do it, don’t expect to hear a damn word about it. Especially this year when they’re gearing up for elections this November, hoping to take control of the State Senate using their own hand-drawn partisan gerrymander.
For that reason, they’re celebrating Thursday’s court decision, whether they lie to you about it or not.
