Elections and Government Reform

Drawing district lines (redistricting)

80 public statements from 2026 candidates

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Where the lines go can decide which party wins most of a state's seats, even when the statewide vote is close.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Who draws the lines for congressional and state legislative districts and how often, after several states, including Texas, California and North Carolina, redrew their congressional maps in 2025, between censuses.1

  1. Have independent commissions, not lawmakers, draw district lines
  2. Let legislatures draw the lines, but only once a decade after the census
  3. Let legislatures draw and redraw the lines when they choose

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Have independent commissions, not lawmakers, draw district lines (27)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says every state should be required to use independent redistricting commissions made up of equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independents.2
  • Maurice Mercer AL-6
    His campaign website says he supports creating an independent redistricting commission so that voters choose their officials rather than politicians choosing their voters.3
  • Eric Jones CA-4
    His campaign website calls for independent redistricting commissions in every state, including California, and a ban on mid-decade redistricting.4,5
  • Scott Wiener CA-11
    His campaign website says he would require independent congressional redistricting in all 50 states.6
  • Angie Nixon FL Senate special
    Her campaign website says she supports independent redistricting commissions to end partisan gerrymandering, and says she led the fight against Governor DeSantis's voting maps, which it calls unfair.7,8
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform supports the Redistricting Reform Act of 2025, which it says would require every state to draw congressional maps through an independent commission.9
  • Kimberly Overman FL-12
    Her campaign platform says she supports independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions.10,11
  • Chris Harden GA-11
    His campaign website says he supports independent redistricting commissions to draw fair maps and create more competitive elections.12
  • Jonathan Chavez GA-13
    His platform says he supports requiring that congressional district maps be drawn by independent, nonpartisan commissions using transparent, publicly auditable methods.13
  • John "Drew" Williams KY-1
    His campaign website proposes independent redistricting commissions in all states to draw congressional maps.14
  • Zach Dembo KY-6
    His campaign website says every state should have an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw district lines.15
  • Lauren Jewett LA-1
    Her campaign website says she will push for independent redistricting commissions to end political control over how congressional maps are drawn, and for banning partisan gerrymandering nationwide.16
  • Patrick "Pat" Forbes LA-6
    His campaign website says independent commissions, not politicians, should draw district lines.17
  • Sean McCann MI-4
    His campaign website says he pushed forward independent redistricting efforts.18
  • Abdul El-Sayed MI Senate
    His campaign website says congressional districts should be drawn by a federal nonpartisan committee of experts working with the Census Bureau.19
  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website says he supports banning partisan gerrymandering, with independent redistricting and enforceable national rules for fair congressional maps.20
  • Thomas Holbrook MO-4
    His campaign website says gerrymandering should be banned by having non-partisan committees draw state maps based on the 10-year census, and that he will push for legislation to do so.21
  • Ty Pinkins MS Senate
    His campaign website says he would advocate for independent redistricting commissions.22
  • Dan Osborn NE Senate
    His campaign website says every state should be required to have an independent redistricting commission of ordinary citizens, with maps approved by Democrats, Republicans and independents.23
  • Veronica Fernandez NJ Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports independent commissions to draw New Jersey's state and congressional district lines.24
  • Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
    It lists ending partisan gerrymandering and replacing it with a system in which an independent board draws maps based on non-biased factors.25
  • Winston Jordan NJ-12
    His policy platform website lists independent redistricting to end gerrymandering.26
  • Chris Henry OR Senate
    His platform calls for independent redistricting processes for congressional and legislative districts.27
  • Brian L Bengs SD Senate
    His campaign website supports federal redistricting reform that would take the drawing of congressional maps out of the hands of partisans.28
  • Marquita Bradshaw TN Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports independent redistricting that puts voters, not politicians, first.29
  • Lauren Pinkston TN Governor
    Her campaign website supports an independent commission to draw district maps.30
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he supports a nationwide ban on partisan gerrymandering, with independent commissions drawing district lines.31

Statements that don't match one option (53)

  • Jeff Wadlin AR Senate
    His campaign website says partisan gerrymandering should end, that congressional districts should keep counties and metropolitan areas together where practical, and that state districts should keep towns and neighborhoods together.32
  • Chris Jones AR-2
    His campaign website calls for fair district maps along with secure, accessible elections.33,34
  • Robb Ryerse AR-3
    His campaign website says he would end gerrymandering so politicians do not choose their voters.35,36
  • Lateefah Simon CA-12
    Her campaign website says she supports ending partisan gerrymandering.37
  • Sam Liccardo CA-16
    His campaign website calls for clear, neutral and uniform standards for congressional redistricting to limit partisan gerrymandering, along with faster court challenges to maps.38
  • Hilda Solis CA-38
    Her campaign website says she wishes Proposition 50 had not been necessary but that it was needed to respond to President Trump and his allies in Texas and elsewhere, whom it says are undermining democracy.39
  • Robert Garcia CA-42
    His campaign website says he strongly supported California's Proposition 50 to redraw the state's congressional maps, which it presents as a response to President Trump calling on Republican-led states to eliminate Democratic seats.40
  • Bob Chew CO Senate
    His campaign website says gerrymandering should be eliminated.41
  • Adam Withrow CO Senate
    His campaign website says there should be penalties for gerrymandering.42
  • Clifton Brown CO-3
    His campaign website calls for eliminating congressional districts to end gerrymandering.43,44
  • Amanda Marie Green FL-2
    Her campaign website says she opposes partisan and racial gerrymandering that lets politicians choose their voters.45
  • Mike Klein FL-3
    His campaign website says partisan gerrymandering should be banned so that voters choose their representatives.46
  • James Pericola FL-11
    His campaign website says he will work to end gerrymandering.47
  • Mark Davis FL-16
    His policy platform says he opposes partisan gerrymandering.48
  • Matthew Montavon FL-17
    His campaign website says Congress must act to end mid-decade redistricting, noting that the Constitution calls for district lines to be redrawn every 10 years after the census.49
  • Deva Simmons FL-18
    Her campaign website lists fighting against gerrymandering among her priorities for defending democracy.50
  • Lois Frankel FL-23
    Her campaign website says she has stood firm against what it calls illegal gerrymandering of Florida's congressional districts.51
  • David Jolly FL Governor
    His campaign website says that during his seven years as an independent he organized voters around ending gerrymandering and opening primaries.52
  • Amanda Hollowell GA-1
    Her campaign website says she supports standing up to gerrymandering, along with restoring voting rights and expanding access to the ballot box.53
  • Jasmine Clark GA-13
    Her campaign website’s agenda lists ending partisan gerrymandering among her priorities.54
  • Keisha Lance Bottoms GA Governor
    Her campaign's voting plan says she would veto any district map that dilutes minority voting power, and would seek stronger state protections against discriminatory redistricting, clearer standards for fair maps and public notice before maps are changed.55
  • Sarah Trone Garriott IA-3
    Her campaign website says she will push to ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide, and describes Iowa's system, in which a nonpartisan agency draws the maps and politicians can vote a map up or down.56
  • Todd Achilles ID Senate
    His campaign website says he would work to end gerrymandering.57
  • Tripp Charles Hutchinson ID-2
    His platform page lists ending gerrymandering among his commitments.58
  • Delia Ramirez IL-3
    Her campaign website says she co-sponsored the Freedom to Vote Act, which it says would end partisan gerrymandering.59
  • Sean Casten IL-6
    His campaign website lists cosponsoring the For the People Act, which it says would, among other reforms, end partisan gerrymandering.60
  • Daniel Biss IL-9
    His campaign website says he will champion federal legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering and ensure districts are compact, contiguous and protect communities of interest, and that he supports a national ban on mid-decade redistricting.61
  • Collin Corbett IL Governor
    His campaign website says he would end partisan gerrymandering with fair maps.62
  • Christopher Campbell KY Senate
    His campaign website says that amendment should include stronger safeguards against gerrymandering.63
  • Melissa Claire Strange KY-4
    Her campaign website says she supports banning gerrymandering.64
  • Conrad Cable LA-4
    His campaign website says it supports national standards to end partisan gerrymandering, including fair maps.65
  • Dan Schwartz MD-1
    His campaign website says he would ban partisan gerrymandering at the federal level.66
  • Adrian Boafo MD-5
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments fighting for fairer congressional maps in Maryland to push back against partisan gerrymandering in red states.67
  • LaVeta Davenport MI-1
    The Green Party of Michigan 2026 platform text on her campaign website, which says she fully aligns with it, calls for true non-partisan redistricting.68
  • Charlotte Magoon MI-2
    Her campaign website says she supports ending partisan gerrymandering.69
  • Hillary Scholten MI-3
    Her campaign website says she supports federal legislation to end partisan gerrymandering.70
  • Christian Vukasovich MI-5
    His campaign website says he supports banning partisan gerrymandering.71
  • Kristen McDonald Rivet MI-8
    Her campaign website says she backs bills that would extend Michigan's approach to preventing gerrymandering to the whole country.72
  • DeVelle L. Jackson MN-5
    It calls for enforceable standards against partisan redistricting, so that political parties cannot choose their voters by drawing district lines.73
  • Bethany E Mann MO-3
    Her campaign website says gerrymandered districts, whether for the state legislature or Congress, do not represent voters and that gerrymandering must stop.74
  • Missi Hesketh MO-7
    Her Protect Our Kids’ Future page says she would back the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act as a way to ban partisan gerrymandering.75
  • Seth Bodnar MT Senate
    His campaign website says he supports ending partisan gerrymandering nationwide.76
  • Michael Dublin NC Senate
    His campaign website says he would work to end gerrymandering.77
  • Deborah K. Ross NC-2
    Her campaign Equality and Justice page says she has introduced legislation to reform what it calls North Carolina's partisan, secretive redistricting process, and a bill to end prison gerrymandering.78
  • Ashley Bell NC-10
    Her campaign website says she supports banning partisan gerrymandering so that every American's vote counts.79
  • Adam Hamawy NJ-12
    His campaign website says he supports ending partisan gerrymandering.80
  • Teresa Leger Fernandez NM-3
    Her campaign website says she has worked on legislation to end partisan gerrymandering, and that she has defended Native American and Hispanic voters against gerrymandering.81
  • Teresa F. Benitez-Thompson NV-2
    Her campaign website says she supports passing the For the People Act framework, which it describes as including redistricting reform.82
  • Greg Levy OH Senate special
    His campaign website calls for outlawing gerrymandering and voter-roll purges that it says are designed to disenfranchise Black voters.83
  • Jeff Merkley OR Senate
    His campaign website calls for ending gerrymandering.84,85
  • Ken Krawchuk PA Governor
    His campaign website calls for ending gerrymandering by drawing districts with a method it calls precinct-preserving splitline districting.86
  • Pat Dixon TX Governor
    His campaign website calls for nonpartisan redistricting, such as maps drawn by software to be compact and fair, and says that if a president asked him to redraw five-year-old districts in the president's favor, he would say no.87
  • David Crowley WI Governor
    His campaign website says he would push for nonpartisan redistricting at every level of government.88