The folks over at “The Fix” blog on The Washington Post
website offer an especially gloomy look at the impact of gerrymandering and the
power of incumbency and they concluded that nearly all House members are “becoming
mostly immune to the day-to-day sways of public opinion.”
website offer an especially gloomy look at the impact of gerrymandering and the
power of incumbency and they concluded that nearly all House members are “becoming
mostly immune to the day-to-day sways of public opinion.”
That’s because only 30 House races have any
right to be called a “race” of any sort this year, according to The
Fix. That’s 30 out of 435. That’s 6.8 percent of the entire House.
right to be called a “race” of any sort this year, according to The
Fix. That’s 30 out of 435. That’s 6.8 percent of the entire House.
The Post’s Election
Lab model found that that there are 405 races where the incumbent or
front-runner has a 90 percent (or better) chance of winning at this point in
the election.
Lab model found that that there are 405 races where the incumbent or
front-runner has a 90 percent (or better) chance of winning at this point in
the election.
The Cook
Political Report rates only 43 seats as toss-up or leaning
Republican or Democrat — or 9.8 percent of the House. The Rothenberg
Political Report counts 51 seats as competitive, 11.7 percent
of the House.
Political Report rates only 43 seats as toss-up or leaning
Republican or Democrat — or 9.8 percent of the House. The Rothenberg
Political Report counts 51 seats as competitive, 11.7 percent
of the House.
This is why so many U.S. Senate races remain "competitive" — because you can't gerrymander an entire state.
To some (almost all of them Republican…just sayin'), this poses a different kind of threat, that can only be resolved by repealing the 17th Amendment, which put the election of U.S. Senators in the hands of voters rather than state legislatures.