L.A. Times is reporting that the House Problem Solvers Caucus is advocating for national redistricting standards to address the increasing lack of competition in U.S. House elections. The newspaper said that as recently as the late 1990s, about 4 in 10 congressional districts were considered competitive. Today, according to the Cook Political Report, only 18 of 435 House districts are toss-ups, with fewer than a tenth of all House seats being somewhat competitive.
Rep. Jeff Hurd, a Republican member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, stated that gerrymandering undermines representative democracy by preventing cohesive representation and rewarding political extremes. He added that it reduces competition and contributes to congressional polarization and dysfunction. The bipartisan caucus, comprising 44 House members, recently announced a framework for legislation aimed at restoring competition.
The proposed reforms include limiting the redrawing of political maps to once every 10 years, following the census. The group also called for establishing a uniform, national standard requiring congressional districts to be drawn using clear, objective criteria, rejecting partisan advantage and incumbent protection as legitimate goals. The L.A. Times said these changes, if enacted, would be in place starting in 2032, after the 2030 census. Hurd acknowledged that any reform asking politicians to give up political leverage would be challenging to pass.