Last week, the Oklahoma legislature sent its freshly gerrymandered congressional districts to Governor Kevin Stitt for final approval.
Although Democrats would also rig the maps to their advantage if they were in control of things, they're naturally crying foul about the proposed maps, and the highly-partisan, right-wing way they were drawn.
One particular item of concern is how Republican lawmakers carved up Oklahoma County to make the 5th Congressional District less competitive. For example, they're drowning out the more liberal and diverse pockets of town like the Plaza District by grouping it with the deeply red and conservative Oklahoma panhandle:
Congrats to the Plaza District and inner south-side OKC for sharing the same Congressional District with Guymon. Definitely keeping "communities of interest" together here.
— em dash aficionado (@imjacobnotjames) November 1, 2021
How do these people sleep at night?
How do Oklahoma GOP lawmakers who drew the maps sleep at night? Well, with the way the new gerrymandered political districts will further enrtrench their control, influence and power in the state, the answer is "very easily."
Although we don't blame people for being mad that their votes and voices are being drowned out by a dated, behind-the-times, centuries old political process, we also don't think constituents in the newly-formed district are as different as they want to believe.