DGA Launches 2020 Redistricting Initiative

DGA Launches 2020 Redistricting Initiative

Unrig The Map website, fund to target governors races that impact redistricting

WASHINGTON – Today, the Democratic Governors Association launched a new website and fund dedicated to winning targeted governors races that will impact redistricting in 2020.

The DGA’s “2020 Redistricting Fund” – chaired by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock – will direct investments toward 18 battleground states where governors can play a key role in reshaping the congressional map. With fair maps in these 18 states, Democrats could win back 44 House seats – more than the 30 necessary to take back the House of Representatives.

The DGA also launched a new interactive website Tuesday, UnrigTheMap.com, which allows users to see the impact that a fair map would have on congressional representation.

“The DGA’s new redistricting fund will help elect governors to ensure that all American communities are fairly represented in the 2020 redistricting process,” said Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. “Governors play a critical role in the redistricting process. The DGA’s ‘Unrig The Map’ effort is about ensuring more Democratic governors can be at the table in 2020 to prevent the kind of far-right gerrymandering we saw in 2010.”

“Gerrymandering is part of a nationwide assault on the right to vote—and it’s a targeted effort to disenfranchise women, young people, and people of color,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “If we want to diversify candidates and make sure more voices that don’t usually get heard at all in Washington get to play a major role in the conversation, then a better map is the key. In a lot of states, electing progressive, Democratic governors is our best hope of getting a better map.”

Through the effort, the DGA will focus on recruiting, fundraising, and campaign support for targeted governors races that will make a difference in the 2020 redistricting. This new initiative to ensure more representative districts comes during the week of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.

“Americans deserve fair representation in Congress, not the gerrymandered mess that far-right Republicans have given us,” said Montana Governor Steve Bullock, Chair of the DGA. “Democratic governors can unrig the map and restore the rights of voters across the country.”

“We are proud to be part of this long-term effort to ensure that Democrats are prepared and ready for the upcoming redistricting battle,” said Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, the incoming DGA Chair in 2016. “Redistricting will have major impact on the issues we deeply care about like the future health care reform, how we fund our transportation infrastructure and ensuring that hard working Americans can earn a living wage.”

The DGA’s 18 initial target states could net Democrats a total of 44 congressional seats by moving from GOP-gerrymandered districts to a fair map, according to an analysis by Clarity Campaign Labs.

A breakdown of the possible pickups in the states is below:

• Arkansas (+2)
• Colorado (+2)
• Florida (+5)
• Georgia (+2)
• Indiana (+2)
• Kentucky (+1)
• Louisiana (+2)
• Maine (+1)
• Michigan (+3)
• Missouri (+1)
• Nevada (+2)
• Ohio (+3)
• Pennsylvania (+4)
• South Carolina (+2)
• Texas (+5)
• Virginia (+3)
• West Virginia (+2)
• Wisconsin (+2)