IOWA SENATE DEMOCRATS
For Immediate Release: 10/5/2021
Breaking with decades of non-partisan redistricting, today Iowa Republicans took a big step closer to rigging Iowa elections
Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:
Breaking with decades of non-partisan redistricting tradition, today Iowa Republicans took a big step closer to rigging Iowa elections.
The reasons given by Republican Senator Roby Smith on the floor ignored Iowa law and in fact demonstrated that there was no legitimate reason for Legislative Republicans to reject this first map. This was a fair map drawn by the nonpartisan, independent commission. It met all the requirements laid out in state law. This is an outrageous use of political power to rig elections in their favor.
We are in completely uncharted territory, due to unprecedented delays. Today, Iowa Republicans could have ended the uncertainty and demonstrated a commitment to our non-partisan tradition. Instead, they rejected the LSA’s non-partisan plan in a party line vote.
Watch Senate’s 10/5/21 debate on redistricting
Iowans know partisan gerrymandering erodes democracy in other states. We’ve seen how special interests are strengthened and corruption grows in gerrymandered states.
That’s why gerrymandering not only strips the minority party of their power, it also hurts voters of the majority party – in this case Republican voters – by letting legislators disregard the will of voters. The extreme Republican agenda will become even more dominated by special interests, and the needs of farmers, smaller business owners, parents, and retirees will fall by the wayside.
Iowans, listen up. This is a clear signal Republicans are willing to use a partisan gerrymander to keep themselves in power, regardless of the will of we the people. Now is the time for Iowans to make their voices heard, contact their legislators, and demand that Republicans stop going down their dangerous road.
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