USW members protest at the gerrymandered Michigan legislature in 2012.

Jay McMurran grew furious several years ago when he realized that out-of-control gerrymandering in Michigan put his freedom at risk.

Purely partisan redistricting has turned the entire political process upside down, enabling officials to dictate to the voters and remain in office no matter how much harm they inflict on millions of working people.

McMurran knew it was time to abolish this rigged system. In 2018, he joined the successful fight that wrested redistricting power from self-serving politicians and put the responsibility for drawing legislative and congressional districts in the hands of union members and other ordinary voters.

It was a victory for democracy that voters in other states began to emulate. But McMurran sees all of those gains slipping away now as Texas Republicans throw out the state’s current districts and gin up new ones for a nakedly political and unjust purpose, shoring up Donald Trump’s grip on power.

“This isn’t a Republican issue or a Democratic issue,” said McMurran, a longtime member of the United Steelworkers (USW), stressing the need for all citizens, regardless of political views, to oppose the Texas Republicans’ assault on liberty.

“It’s about America,” added McMurran, noting that

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