GOP congressman warns against party getting 'too greedy' in redistricting efforts


While many Republicans may consider breaking up congressional districts represented by Democrats an opportunity to regain a majority in the House and establish a long-lasting electoral advantage, others are urging caution against taking the party's redistricting efforts too far, Politico reports.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the top Republican on the House Rules Committee, falls in the latter camp. He cited two previous instances in North Carolina and Pennsylvania in which the GOP redrew districts that favored the party, only to see state courts invalidate them. The new lines wound up allowing Democrats to pick up several seats. "They stretched the rubber band too far," Cole said. He also warned against getting "too greedy" because a "bad election" under redrawn districts could backfire and result in excessive seat losses.
Politico points to Kansas City, where "cracking" Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's (D) district is a possibility. If that happens, the GOP could take seven of Missouri's eight congressional districts in a good year, rather than the six they consistently get. But, at the same time, "four or five Republican incumbents would have to take a 3 to 5 percent reduction in the Republican base," James Harris, a veteran Missouri operative, told Politico. So, in a bad year, Democrats could potentially take three seats. In short, the risk of going after Cleaver's district may outweigh the reward for the GOP. Read more at Politico.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants