Burdened by What Will Be

Another crushing defeat at the hands of Donald Trump has most Democrats reflecting on “why?” instead of contemplating “what now?” The electoral limits of a purely anti-Trump campaign have been exhausted, and Democrats ought to begin laying the groundwork for a new political identity if they wish to remain competitive on the national stage moving forward. Their path only gets harder. Much harder.

According to the American Redistricting Project’s 2030 census projections, Republican-leaning states are set to gain 13 Electoral College votes while Democratic states are slated to lose twelve (setting Pennsylvania, −1, aside as a truly purple one). Places like Texas (+4) and Florida (+3) are experiencing population surges while California (−4), New York (-3), and Illinois (−2) are enduring a costly exodus.

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