Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said he is against either party having “zero representation” as a result of redistricting and warned of possible political upheaval as a consequence.
Paul appeared on NBC News’s Meet the Press on Sunday to react to President Donald Trump threatening to endorse primary challengers in the Indiana state Senate as a result of Republican state senators voting against a map that would have created two more GOP-leaning House seats.
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“This is on the negative aspect of both parties doing this [redistricting]: I think that it’s going to lead to more civil tension and possibly more violence in our country, because think about it. If 35% of Texas is Democrat — solidly Democrat — and they have zero representation, or like my state, we’re a very Republican state, but we have one Democrat area in Louisville, and we have a Democrat congressman; we could carve up Louisville and get rid of that one congressman, but how does that make Democrats feel? I think it makes them feel like they’re not represented,” Paul said.
This was a reference to Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), who was first elected in 2022 to serve Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District. McGarvey won his election handily with over 60% of the vote in his first win and his subsequent reelection bid. The district hasn’t been represented by a Republican for nearly the last 20 years, when five-term incumbent Rep. Anne Northup lost her reelection in 2006.
“I think that makes people so dissatisfied, they think: ‘Well the electoral process isn’t working any more, maybe we have to resort to other means.’ I don’t want that,” Paul said. “I think there is the potential that when people have no representation that they feel disenfranchised, that it can lead — it might lead — to violence in our country.”
Rand Paul on mid-decade redistricting: "I think it's gonna lead to more civic tension and possibly more violence in our country. Think about it: if 35% of Texas is solidly Democrat and they have 0 representation, how does that make Democrats feel? I think it makes them feel like… pic.twitter.com/j6BqAuj6fK
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 14, 2025
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Paul has often bucked his party’s efforts to primary Republican lawmakers, siding with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) as Trump endorsed a candidate against Massie.
Meanwhile, similar redistricting efforts continue in California, Texas, Missouri, and Utah.
