Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison is pressing Democrats to make redistricting reform a top priority, calling partisan map-drawing “the singular cancer in our democracy.”
Harrison wrote that partisan gerrymandering lets “politicians pick their voters instead of voters picking their politicians,” locking in safe seats and fueling extremes. He faulted Democrats for failing to advance voting-rights legislation when they had a path to act, saying a filibuster carve-out died in the Senate.
“And here’s where Democrats must face the mirror,” he said. “We had our chances to stop this. When Democrats briefly held 60 votes in the Senate during the Obama administration, we should have passed a series of democracy reforms including one that outlawed extreme gerrymanders nationwide.”
“These two often talked about the need for more bipartisanship and cooperation in Congress,” he said. “It is ironic that they couldn’t see the forest for the trees. They were too enamored with the filibuster and couldn’t recognize that the greatest threat to a functioning Congress was gerrymandered districts. Because of them, we lost the moment.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Manchin and Sinema for comment on Harrison’s assessment, but did not hear back prior to publication.
As a remedy, Harrison backs stronger Voting Rights Act protections, nationwide rules against extreme gerrymanders, and commissions that draw maps under uniform criteria.
He pointed to states such as Arizona and Michigan as models and said commissions must be adopted “everywhere” to avoid a patchwork that only binds some states. He also called for transparent map drafting, clear “communities of interest” standards, and neutral review.
“We must adhere to the racial guidelines established by the Voting Rights Act,” he wrote. “Draft maps are public. Challenges go to neutral arbiters—not party bosses. This isn’t starry-eyed idealism. It’s how you rebuild trust in democracy.”
This past summer, Texas Republicans approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping multiple Democratic-held seats, which prompted California Democrats to push their own changes, underscoring that both parties see the lines as central to House control.
Harrison said any fix must be national to restore trust and competition. He urged Democrats to pledge support for federal standards and independent commissions and, if necessary, to change Senate rules for voting-rights legislation.
“If you want a healthier middle, give it a fair map,” he wrote. “If you want a Congress that works, stop treating democracy like a game of lines and start treating it like a promise. Commissions in every state. Voters choosing leaders. Leaders accountable to voters. That’s not a partisan dream. That’s the minimum standard for a country that wants to call itself a democracy.”
