Two weeks ago, Illinois's Democratic legislature passed a map designed to stretch their lead in the state's delegation from 13-5 to 14-3. Not to be outdone, last week it was North Carolina and Ohio Republicans' turn to take the gloves off and propose even more brutal maps.

At the outset of the fall, Democrats were cautiously optimistic: they got the map they wanted in Oregon and Republicans didn't totally maximize their seats in Indiana or Texas. But now, the redistricting pendulum has swung back in the GOP's direction as Republicans begin to unveil more aggressive gerrymanders. And unless state supreme courts block GOP maps in North Carolina and Ohio, Democrats will start out 2022 at a crushing disadvantage.

In North Carolina, Republicans rammed through a map that could convert the delegation from 8R-5D to 11R-3D (and because Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper lacks veto power under state law, it's now law). The map takes a sledgehammer to Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning's 6th CD and turns Rep. G.K. Butterfield's historically Black 1st CD into a Toss Up. It also creates three open

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