With all the reporting on Texas gerrymandering it seemed a good time to comment and perhaps enlighten…  

by Abby Crosby

The 435 US Representatives are elected within their state “districts”. For decades Democrats have been adjusting the shape of these districts to ensure greatest likelihood of Democrat results. They call these odd-shaped districts gerrymandering; not straight forward “redistricting” based on citizen population. Famous such crazy-shaped districts are in California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, and I’m sure more. As Republicans promised leading up to the 2024 election, they will no longer sit back and take it.  Republicans are committed to answering Democrat games with similar games, at least until/unless Congress enacts laws to redraw districts in logical citizen-population shapes without bias of party-dominance. 

The term is named after Massachusetts governor, Elbridge Gerry, an anti-Federalist who signed the bill creating a pro-Democrat/Republican Massachusetts district in 1812, was a Founding Father: signer of the Declaration of Independence, framer of the Constitution, and also a diplomat, congressman, and the nation’s fifth vice-president, according to the Smithsonian.

Note that Vermont only has 1 US Representative, hence, gerrymandering does not come into play at the Federal level. However, in  Massachusetts, they have 9, and all are Democrats due to gerrymeandering. Unfortunately, at the State level in Vermont, high population heavily Democrat areas are attached to more conservative or balanced areas making it very difficult for Republicans to win. For example, the State Representative for Whitingham and Halifax, where our property is, also represents Wilmington.

Although the conservative candidate for that office in 2024 lost Halifax by 1 vote and Whitingham by 2 votes, it was the larger spread in Wilmington that made a recount not worthwhile, and the Democrat candidate was seated. Our State Senators also are forever Democrat as Brattleboro is in the same district as our tiny towns. As is evident by the close votes for State Representative in Whitingham and Halifax, it would be reasonable to assume about half of these voters feel disenfranchised. Also, as I have dug into this I have spoken with many conservatives in Whitingham and Halifax who no longer vote resulting from years of frustration. This is unfortunate and could make a difference in outcomes. 

Some readers may be surprised to learn that in all New England, there is not a single Republican US Representative or US Senator – except centrist Republican Susan Collins of Maine!  In Vermont, Trump won 32% (46% in Whitingham; 42% Halifax; 32% Wilmington) of the vote in 2024. In New Hampshire he won 48% of the vote, in Maine 45%, in Massachusetts 36%, in Connecticut 42%, and 42% in Rhode Island. Even in New York, both US Senators are Democrats, and of the 26 New York US Representatives, 19 are Democrats and only 7 Republican despite Trump winning 43% of that State’s vote in 2024.

Although Vermont and New Hampshire both have Republican Governors, neither is truly conservative. In all New England and New York only New Hampshire has a Republican Attorney General and Republican Secretary of State. It’s fair to say, Republicans do exist in big numbers in New England and New York, and they may be feeling unrepresented with reason. 

On the topic of the possibility of a mid-decade census, it is notable that no current laws prohibit such. Additionally, in the 2020 census, illegal immigrants were counted. The impact of this is that those states with heavy illegal populations (i.e., California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, etc.) have a disproportionate representation in Congress. These States incorrectly have greater allocation of the 435 US Representatives. The US Supreme Court is looking at the inclusion/exclusion of illegal immigrants in the census. 

For curious voters, here are a few other local voting numbers. Again, demonstrates there is a constituency in southern Vermont begging for representation. Voting for Trump in 2024: Readsboro 51%, Stamford 57%, Pownal 50%, Marlboro 17%, Guilford 27%, Vernon 45%, Brattleboro 23%, Bennington 35%, Dover 34%… Perhaps if Whitingham, Halifax, Readsboro, Stamford and Pownal were a district, conservative leaning voters would have representation. Adding Vernon would be a Massachusetts style gerrymandering. Those conservatives withholding their votes due to frustration in these towns might step out again if redistricting did not shut out conservative possibilities. 

Hopefully this information awakens some in our beautiful state to look at “Representation” with eyes wide open. Thanks for your consideration.

The author is a Whitingham resident.