Washington, D.C. — To protect fair maps, prevent Republican efforts to both gerrymander and undermine democracy, and propel our country toward fair redistricting and a truly representative democracy, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) and its affiliate organizations announced priority states ahead of the 2024 election. 

The tactics and tools to be deployed in those states include supporting Democracy Defender candidates for key state-level offices, strengthening existing redistricting reforms and enacting new ones, supporting legal challenges to gerrymandered maps, and engaging our grassroots movement to protect democracy.

Ahead of the 2024 elections, 28 congressional districts could become significantly more or less competitive as a result of redistricting with fair representation for millions of Americans – as well as the congressional majority – at stake. 

“As a result of our work, Americans have the fairest congressional map in decades, and more fair state legislative maps than before. That is real progress in the fight for a representative democracy. But Republicans are attempting right now to reverse that progress as a central part of their political strategy going into next year’s election and will continue to do so in the years that follow,” said Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and Chair of the NDRC. “From supporting MAGA extremists in state supreme court elections to unabashedly drawing maps that diminish the voting power of communities of color to trying to weaken our system of checks and balances, too many Republicans have demonstrated that they are willing to do anything to gerrymander – no matter the cost. As a result, we find ourselves in an era of perpetual redistricting, where we must continue to use every tool at our disposal to stop them every time they try.

“The fight ahead will be long and filled with progress as well as disappointments but with our comprehensive plan in place, I am confident that we will continue to succeed and ultimately achieve the fairness the nation needs. In a time when our democracy is facing serious challenges, complacency is not an option. That’s why I’m sticking around to continue to lead this fight for the long-term, and that’s why, with a record of success, NDRC and affiliates remain critical to our ability to ultimately achieve fairness,” Holder concluded. 

NDRC’S STRATEGY LEADING UP TO 2024:

Protect fair maps: The current congressional map is the fairest map in 40 years, according to a New York Times analysis. This map was the result of NDRC’s years-long comprehensive strategy leading up to and during the 2021-2022 redistricting cycle, which, under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder, changed the game in redistricting. In states that had fair congressional maps in 2022 as a result of our work –  such as Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire – Republicans are now making a concerted effort to roll back progress using a variety of tactics from attacking redistricting commissions to reducing the independence of state courts. In these states, NDRC and affiliates plan to deploy a combination of advocacy and political engagement to protect our progress. 

Prevent Republican efforts to gerrymander and undermine democracy: In states where Republicans have gerrymandered, NDRC and affiliates are committed to fighting for fairness by holding them to account in court, at the ballot box, and in legislatures. Right now, there are active lawsuits against gerrymandered maps in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. NDRC and  affiliates are preparing for all potential decision outcomes and will lead the way to find a path forward no matter the scenario.   

Propel toward fair redistricting and representative democracy: The 2021-2022 redistricting cycle proved that not all redistricting commissions are created equal. In states like Arizona, Virginia, and Ohio, existing redistricting reforms must be strengthened in order to achieve fairness in the long-run. To accomplish that, NDRC and affiliates will conduct continuous political and grassroots engagement in these states. In addition, the maps remain unlawfully gerrymandered in Wisconsin, and must be challenged. 

Seize additional opportunities to improve fairness: NDRC and affiliates are preparing to seize potential opportunities to engage in key states in the years to come as a result of ongoing litigation in states like Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, New Mexico, and New York. Additionally, redistricting reforms in states like Arkansas could also lead to fairer maps. We will also continue to monitor for possible attacks against Montana’s redistricting commission and the state’s fair legislative maps.

###