News

John Ryder, a force within Republican redistricting for decades, passed away on Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer. John had a vision to create a redistricting infrastructure for the right that could rival what the left had and worked for decades to help make it happen. Fair Lines America and its affiliates exist today in large part due to John's labors. We were blessed to have John serve as counsel to Fair Lines America - a role he held since FLA's founding in 2017. We will all miss John's passion for redistricting, his steady and enthusiastic support, and, above all, his friendship. We join with John's many friends and colleagues in extending our condolences to John's family and the friends who knew him best.

Funeral information can be found here. Stories on his life and legacy can be found at the Memphis Flyer, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and Vanderbilt Law School among numerous other sources.

Significant Mapping Developments

Alaska

An Alaska Superior Court struck down the Alaska Redistricting Board’s remedial state Senate plan as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and ordered the Board to adopt an alternative remedial proposal for interim use in the 2022 elections.

Florida

A Florida Circuit Court judge granted a temporary injunction blocking portions of Governor DeSantis’s enacted congressional plan from being used in future elections, citing violations of Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment. The judge also vacated the automatic stay on his ruling while the State proceeds with their appeal.

Kansas

Kansas’s Supreme Court reversed a district court’s ruling and upheld the state’s enacted congressional plan as constitutional. The Court also upheld the state’s enacted legislative plans as constitutional.

Missouri

Missouri’s Governor signed the state legislature’s congressional redistricting plan into law.

New Hampshire

A joint legislative panel approved a congressional redistricting plan.

New York

The court-appointed special master released his proposed remedial congressional and state Senate redistricting plans. The judge handling the congressional and Senate maps litigation rejected as untimely a request to invalidate the enacted state Assembly maps.

Important Dates

This Week

New York: 5/20: Court-appointed special master’s final congressional and state Senate redistricting plans

National News

Redistricting News

Having prevailed in the political and legal arenas of several key states, Republicans are claiming victory in this decade’s redistricting cycle.

State News

New York

The special master’s proposed remedial congressional and state Senate redistricting plans sparked infighting amongst Democrats as incumbents and candidates scramble to stake their claims to the new districts.