WASHINGTON, D.C. The Problem Solvers Caucus released a bipartisan Gerrymandering Reform Framework to address our nation’s rampant partisan redistricting. The framework received overwhelming support from the Caucus, and following its introduction, democracy organizations, political experts, and other stakeholders came forward to endorse the initiative.
Here’s what they’re saying:
“Redistricting has become a race to the bottom, and over the last 12 months we’ve watched both parties speed it up. If we stay on this path, everyone loses; voters most of all. A consistent, fair process would change that. It would lower tensions between the parties and give Americans confidence that their voices actually count. The Problem Solvers Caucus framework is a strong first step, and we’re glad to keep working with lawmakers on both sides to get this right for American democracy,” says Michele Stockwell, President, Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
“Election Reformers Network fully supports and commends the bipartisan redistricting initiative of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Partisan insider control over election districts denies our elections the life blood of competition, accountability, and choice and undermines government of, by, and for the people. We are the last republic on the planet to permit this damaging, undemocratic practice. Congress can fix this problem, and this initiative of the Problem Solvers Caucus can lead the way,” says Kevin Johnson, Executive Director, Election Reformers Network.
“Gerrymandering is one of the problems best suited to bringing lawmakers together to put the national good over party interest. Problem Solvers Caucus has come up with one of the best and most promising reform frameworks yet. It respects the Constitution, concentrates on areas where law can make a difference, and – importantly – doesn’t get caught up in the bad or unworkable ideas that often circulate on this subject,” says Walter Olson, Cato Institute.
“We are in the midst of an unprecedented gerrymandering arms race, and voters agree: they should pick their politicians, not the other way around. The Problem Solvers Caucus’s reforms offer a real, bipartisan fix for the dysfunction gerrymandering has caused in Congress. Issue One is proud to stand behind this effort,” says Nick Penniman, Founder and CEO, Issue One.
“For our democracy to thrive, voters must have the power to choose their own representatives. Gerrymandering does the opposite; it erodes public trust and increases polarization. With Honor Action supports the Problem Solvers Caucus’s Gerrymandering Reform Framework. We applaud the leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Suozzi, and the For Country Caucus members who serve in both caucuses for embodying the same bipartisan ethos that unites these groups: country before party, results before rhetoric, and a shared conviction that every vote should count,” says Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action.
“Through our research at Center Forward, we have seen time and again that there is far more that unites Americans than divides us. Most people want their elected officials to work together, solve problems and address the issues that affect their everyday lives. Gerrymandering makes that harder. It creates districts where elected officials have less incentive to work across the aisle, find common ground or build the kinds of durable bipartisan solutions that can actually move the country forward. Taking on this problem is not easy, and those willing to challenge the current system should be applauded. A fairer redistricting process would help restore voters’ voices and faith in government, and create more room for elected officials to work together on their behalf,” says Cori Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, Center Forward.
“Veterans served to defend a Republic where political power comes from the people. Gerrymandering turns that principle backward. It allows elected officials to shape communities around their own political survival instead of earning the trust of the people they represent. Both parties have taken part in this race to the bottom, and both have a responsibility to help end it. The Problem Solvers Caucus framework offers a serious, bipartisan path toward fair maps, real competition, and a Republic worthy of the service and sacrifice made to defend it,” says Alberto Ramos, Navy veteran and CEO of Veterans for All Voters.
“Gerrymandering harms American voters across the political spectrum by making elections less fair and less competitive. The framework put forward by the Problem Solvers Caucus represents an important step toward strengthening representative democracy in America,” says Kosuke Imai, Harvard University, Alarm Project
“Restoring faith in our democratic institutions is urgent work. Partisan gerrymandering violates a basic tenet of representative democracy: when maps are drawn to guarantee an outcome, voters are asked to participate in an election that has already been decided. Confidence erodes, turnout falls, and the damage cascades through everything else our system depends on. The Problem Solvers have built a framework that gives people evidence the system works the way it’s advertised,” says Jonathan Cervas, Special Master of Elections, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology
“Redistricting shouldn’t be defined as a process that creates opportunities for manufactured partisan advantage. Drawing districts is an inherently political act, but there are ways to minimize efforts to undermine the representativeness that districts are supposed to create. The Problem Solvers Caucus framework is a serious effort to articulate clear, reasonable principles around which a federal approach to fair redistricting can be designed,” Charles Stewart III, Director, Special Master of Elections, MIT Election Data and Science Lab & Co-Director, Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project.
Braver Angels is the largest national volunteer-driven organization helping Americans build together across political differences. We call it courageous citizenship. We do not endorse candidates or legislation. But we state plainly when a structure in our system punishes courageous citizenship and rewards contempt. Congressional redistricting – when driven by mid-decade, partisan map-drawing – is one of those structures. Our own cross-partisan common ground workshops initiative across the country resulted in this unifying statement: “Voters should be able to decide who they want to govern them. Instead, today, politicians and special interest groups draw gerrymandered redistricting maps, through which they pick their preferred voters instead of the other way around. This practice must end.” This is not one party’s issue. Both have redrawn maps mid-decade to lock in advantage, each pointing at the other. They blame each other, but the structure rewards both for doing it. That is why citizens must act. We commend the Problem Solvers Caucus, Republican and Democratic members together, for doing what courageous citizenship asks: finding common ground on a problem both parties have been content to exploit. We commend them not for any specific proposal, but for modeling the process this problem requires. Braver Angels has no solution to promote; indeed, our own members will differ and debate about the best ways to address the challenge. That belongs to Congress and the country. Our job is to name the barrier, convene Americans across the political spectrum, and show the pathway to building together The Braver Angels Way, the method modeled by our nation’s founders. If you want to be part of that work, join us,” says Maury Giles, CEO of Braver Angels.
Gerrymandering is not a Republican problem. It is not a Democratic problem. It is an American problem — and the evidence is hiding in plain sight. Look no further than our own states. In Illinois, Democrats have drawn congressional maps that courts have scrutinized for partisan manipulation. In Missouri, Republicans have done the same. Whichever party holds power draws the lines to protect incumbents and silence voters. Then they switch, and do it all over again. Out of 435 House seats, only 16 are considered true tossups in 2026. This represents potentially the fewest competitive races in a modern midterm. Even with a broader “battleground” definition, only about 42 districts (roughly 12%) are genuinely in play. This is not representative democracy. It is a rigged system. Voters in both our states deserve better. That’s why we are proud to stand with the House Problem Solvers Caucus in calling for an end to this practice. The Caucus’s bipartisan framework — which calls for an end to mid-decade redistricting, national standards to limit partisan gerrymandering, and stronger mechanisms for fair congressional maps — is exactly the kind of common-sense reform that Americans across the political spectrum support. As co-founders of Veterans for All Voters, we’ve spent years working with veterans from red states and blue states who understand something simple: the mission comes before the party. Our veterans didn’t serve Illinois or Missouri. They served the United States. They deserve a democracy that works the same way. We call on members of Congress from both parties to support this framework and on state legislatures everywhere to stop using redistricting as a weapon against the very voters they are meant to serve,” says Eric H. Bronner, Co-Founder, Veterans for All Voters, Missouri Chapter and Todd Connor, Co-Founder, Veterans for All Voters, Illinois Chapter