National Democratic Redistricting Committee
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| National Democratic Redistricting Committee | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Democratic Redistricting Committee |
| Formation | 2016 |
| Founder | Tom Perez |
| Type | Political action committee |
| Location | United States |
| Affiliations | Democratic Party |
National Democratic Redistricting Committee The National Democratic Redistricting Committee is a United States political organization focused on redistricting and electoral mapmaking. Founded in 2016, it operates at the intersection of partisan politics, litigation, and grassroots organizing, engaging with state parties, civil rights groups, and labor organizations. The committee coordinates with leaders from Congress, state legislatures, and advocacy networks to influence district boundaries ahead of decennial censuses and midterm cycles.
Background and Formation
The committee was established in the aftermath of the 2010 United States census and the 2016 United States elections, amid debates sparked by the Supreme Court of the United States decisions such as Rucho v. Common Cause and earlier cases like Shelby County v. Holder. It emerged from efforts by figures associated with the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party (United States), and state-level organizations including the California Democratic Party and New York Democratic Party. Key early organizers included national officials and elected representatives who had worked on campaigns with ties to groups like American Civil Liberties Union affiliates, League of Women Voters, and labor unions such as the AFL–CIO.
Goals and Mission
The organization's stated mission centers on producing electoral maps that reflect what its backers describe as fair representation for voters aligned with the Democratic Party (United States), civil rights constituencies, and minority communities represented under statutes like the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It aims to counteract practices associated with gerrymandering by Republican-led caucuses in state legislatures such as those aligned with the National Conference of State Legislatures and to support candidates in state legislative elections who will influence redistricting after the United States census. The committee also advocates for reforms promoted by groups like Brennan Center for Justice and Common Cause.
Leadership and Organization
Leadership has included prominent party officials and elected leaders from the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, as well as state attorneys general and secretaries of state. The organization's board and advisory councils have drawn on figures with backgrounds in campaign management, election law, and civil rights litigation, often overlapping with staff who served in the Obama administration and campaign organizations like Priorities USA Action. Regional directors coordinate with state party chairs, members of the National Association of Secretaries of State, and municipal officials to implement redistricting plans and candidate recruitment.
Funding and Donors
Funding sources combine small-dollar grassroots contributions with major donations from political committees, labor unions, and wealthy donors connected to progressive philanthropy. Major funders have included national political action committees, state party committees, and donor networks linked to activists associated with MoveOn.org Political Action and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. Financial support has come from individuals who are also donors to national committees such as Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as foundations and institutional benefactors that previously supported litigation by entities like the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Strategies and Activities
The committee deploys a mix of litigation, electoral investment, and technical mapping expertise. It has partnered with law firms and academic cartographers from institutions such as Harvard University, Georgetown University, and Stanford University to create districting models and to file suits in state and federal courts, sometimes coordinated with plaintiffs including civil rights organizations like Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and advocacy coalitions like All On The Line. It invests in state legislative races and ballot measures, coordinates with campaign committees such as House Majority PAC, and trains local activists alongside groups like Indivisible. The organization uses data analytics comparable to tools employed by major campaigns including those of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden.
Legal and Political Impact
Through litigation and electoral strategy, the committee has influenced redistricting outcomes in multiple states by supporting suits alleging partisan or racial gerrymandering, often litigated in courts that reference precedents from the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals. Its activities have shaped legislative majorities in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina and contributed to the passage of state constitutional amendments or ballot initiatives affecting redistricting commissions similar to models in Arizona and California. The committee's influence intersects with decisions from chief justices and high-profile rulings affecting the interpretation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Criticism and Controversies
Critics, including commentators affiliated with Republican National Committee allies, conservative legal organizations such as The Federalist Society, and state Republican parties, allege that the committee pursues partisan entrenchment analogous to practices it condemns, pointing to coordination with national party apparatuses and targeted investments in swing districts. Controversies have arisen over donor transparency, litigation strategies challenged in appellate courts, and tactics contested by groups like Liberty Justice Center. Opponents have highlighted clashes in high-profile cases adjudicated by courts including the United States Supreme Court and have tied disputes to broader debates involving figures from presidential campaigns and congressional leadership.