DDHQ Morning News Spotlight: Messy Redistricting Processes Continue Across the Country

Morning Headlines

• The New York redistricting special master and state Supreme Court Justice Patrick McCallister listened to recommendations from representatives of various groups about how the new congressional and state senate maps should be drawn. In the hearing, the state Legislature resubmitted the same state senate map that was struck down arguing it was not rejected for being a partisan gerrymander, but for the process by which it was created. The Legislature also submitted a revised congressional map. The hearing was the only such hearing currently scheduled.
• New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed new maps for the state’s senate and executive council into law. The new districts favor the Republicans and could lead to a Republican supermajority in the state’s senate. The Governor and the General Court are still in disagreement over how to redraw the state’s congressional map. The current Republican-backed plan, which Governor Sununu said he would veto, would create one Democratic district, and one district with a slight Republican advantage, and would push the two current U.S. House incumbents from the state into the same district.
• Members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission are defending themselves against allegations of contempt of the Ohio Supreme Court. They say they complied with the court’s order to pass new maps by last week’s May 6 deadline despite the fact that the maps they voted to pass have already been deemed unconstitutional by the court. Groups challenging the commission’s maps had asked the court to revisit the contempt charges. The commission had no real incentive to pass workable maps on their fifth attempt after a panel of federal judges said they would instate the 3rd set of maps the Ohio Supreme Court struck down if the state was unable to adopt maps by May 28.
• First Lady Jill Biden made an unannounced visit to Ukraine yesterday. She met with Ukraine’s First Lady as well as mothers and children in refugee camps in the rare appearance in a war zone by an American First Lady. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also in the country to reopen the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv. Both visits came the day before Russia’s Victory Day, which some experts think Putin will use as an opportunity to escalate his war in Ukraine.
• Polls are now closed in the Philippine elections. Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo is facing Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a former senator and congressman who is also the son of the country’s former dictator whose two-decade rule was ended by the People Power Revolution in 1986. Turnout was reportedly high across the country, and polls have shown Marcos having a strong lead throughout the campaign, but no official call has been made yet.
• Over at Elections Daily, Sarah Stook continues her fantastic series on the American First Ladies.
• The midterm primary season continues tomorrow with Nebraska and West Virginia holding their contests. Be sure to check out our preview looking at redistricting, important races to follow, and key counties to watch on primary night.

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