Tony Messenger | Post-Dispatch

Metro columnist

Redistricting used to be the province of political nerds.

Also known by its pejorative term — gerrymandering — it’s a process politicians go through every 10 years, after the Census, to adjust congressional districts based on population shifts.

In theory, redistricting involves a lot of mapping, statistics and legal concepts to make sure that, in theory, congressional districts are “compact” and “contiguous” so our elected representatives serve communities of common interest.

The reality is something different. It’s political war, with Democratic and Republican insiders bending districts into awkward shapes to increase their advantage — depending on which party is in power in a particular state. That’s how Illinois ends up with a congress

See Full Page