Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing electoral district lines. On paper, it’s meant to reflect population changes after the census, ensuring each district has roughly the same number of people and that representation stays balanced. In its most neutral form, it’s simply a map adjustment — a logistical step in keeping elections fair and up to date.

But in practice, gerrymandering has become one of the most effective tools for rigging elections without ever touching a ballot. By manipulating district boundaries, those in power can dilute the voting strength of certain communities, split up opposition voters, and secure political dominance for years at a time. It’s no longer a neutral mapping process, it’s a weapon. And right now, it’s being deployed with surgical precision to lock in control, silence dissent, and erase the political power of entire groups before they even step into the voting booth.

In Texas right now, gerrymandering isn’t just strategic, it’s weaponized. Despite having just passed redistricting based on the 2020 census, Republican leadership triggered another mid-decade redraw not for fairness, but for political gain. This latest map aims to steal up to five additional GOP seats in the U.S. House ahead of 2026, dismantling districts that the Department of Justice flagged as racially discriminatory and carving up traditionally Democratic areas like Houston and San Antonio

What’s even more chilling is how far they’ve gone. Governor Abbott has called endless special sessions, issued civil arrest warrants, imposed hefty fines, and even enlisted the FBI to track down Democratic legislators who fled the state to deny a quorum. It’s not just undemocratic. It’s willing to ignore any rule to secure power.

This is the behavior of someone desperate to cling to power by any means necessary. Their policies and plans aren’t strong enough to earn genuine support, so they manipulate the system, hunt for loopholes, and twist the rules to enforce their agenda however they can. That is not the mark of a leader; it’s the profile of a criminal who has learned how to exploit the gray areas of government for personal gain. It’s time to wake up, dig into the facts, and take away that power. Because this is not “just politics.” This is someone who would sacrifice anyone, even those closest to them, if it meant protecting their own position. This is not leadership born of logic or reason. This is sabotage disguised as governance.