A decade ago, it wasn’t that rare for a state to send one Democrat and one Republican to the Senate. It meant voters weren’t rigidly entrenched in one party and, at least in some cases, were willing to elect people based on character or local issues rather than just party loyalty.

But in the past ten years? That s#t has evaporated. We’ve gone from *12 split-delegation states in the 115th Congress to just 2 in the 119th—Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, two states barely hanging onto the idea of bipartisanship by their fingernails.

What the hell happened?

Gerrymandering: The Big, Ugly, Undeniable Factor

Alright, first things first: Gerrymandering—the practice of redrawing district lines to give one party an advantage—doesn’t directly apply to Senate elections. Senators are elected statewide, so you can’t carve up a Senate map to screw over voters like you can in House races.

BUT—gerrymandering absolutely impacts the political environment of a state, which then bleeds into Senate races.

When state legislatures gerrymander House districts, they:

Create super-safe Republican or Democratic districts, ensuring less competitive races.
Increase polarization because candidates in safe districts don’t have to appeal to moderates—just their party’s base.
Reduce the number of swing voters over time because people end up clustered in heavily partisan areas.

So while Senate races aren’t directly rigged by district lines, the entire political culture of a state is shaped by them. If a state gets gerrymandered into oblivion, it’s way more likely to become a one-party stronghold at the Senate level, too.

Back in the day, you had a couple of news stations, some newspapers, and that one loud uncle who never shut the f^%k up about Reagan. Now? Every voter is living in a carefully curated political reality bubble where they only hear opinions they already agree with.

Cable news is basically partisan fan fiction at this point.
Facebook, Twitter (I refuse to call it “X”), and YouTube feed people content that reinforces their existing biases.
The internet has made it easier than ever for political grifters to profit off outrage, further deepening division.

This means fewer people are willing to split their votes between parties. Instead, they’re all in on their side and see the other party as a mortal enemy.

That’s why those classic “moderate Republican” or “conservative Democrat” Senate seats are almost extinct. The middle ground is a goddamn wasteland.

Voter Turnout and the Primary Problem

If you’ve ever wondered why politics keeps getting nastier, look no further than who actually votes in primaries.

The most extreme members of both parties are the ones who show up to vote in primaries.
More moderate candidates often get wiped out before they even reach the general election.
By the time the real election happens, voters are left with a choice between two candidates who are often way more extreme than the average citizen.

In the old days, a state might elect a moderate Republican and a moderate Democrat to the Senate. Now? You get a far-right Republican or a progressive Democrat, and voters have to pick a side.

The Big Picture: What the F^%k Does This Mean for America?

The Senate was designed to be a check on runaway partisanship, but it’s now just as polarized as the rest of government. That has massive consequences, including:

More gridlock and less compromise – If every senator is just a party soldier, no one works together.
More extreme policies – When moderates disappear, so does nuance.
A less representative democracy – If elections are just tribal warfare, actual policy discussions take a backseat to team loyalty.

But here’s the kicker: It’s not irreversible.

Can We Fix This Mess?

Alright, let’s be real—America ain’t gonna magically become politically chill overnight. But there are ways to fight back against hyper-polarization and bring back balance:

Ranked-choice voting – This forces candidates to appeal to a wider audience instead of just their base.
Redistricting reform – Independent commissions can help reduce the worst gerrymandering abuses.
Better civic education – People need to learn how government actually works instead of just vibing on whatever Facebook says.
Breaking up media bubbles – More exposure to different perspectives could help reduce tribalism (but good f^%king luck with that).

FAQ: Because I Know You’ve Got Questions

“Isn’t this just part of normal political cycles?”

Nah, this isn’t just normal change—it’s an acceleration of polarization that’s breaking the system. The parties have always shifted over time, but the absolute disappearance of moderate representation is new and dangerous as f^%k.

“But aren’t voters responsible for electing these extreme candidates?”

Technically, yeah. But when primaries are rigged by low turnout and gerrymandered districts, voters don’t get much of a real choice. The system is set up to encourage extremism.

“How do we stop gerrymandering?”

Push for independent redistricting commissions at the state level. Some states already do this, but a lot of them (cough Texas cough) are still run by politicians who draw the lines to keep themselves in power.

“Why should I care if my state is one-party dominated?”

Because one-party rule leads to corruption, incompetence, and zero accountability—whether it’s Republicans or Democrats. A state with at least some competition keeps politicians on their toes.

“Is there hope, or are we just f^%ked?”

There’s always hope, but it’s gonna take some serious structural changes and voter awareness to fix this s#t. The biggest thing? *Stop treating politics like sports and start demanding competence over party loyalty.

Don’t Be a D!ck, America.

Look, democracy isn’t supposed to be easy, but it also isn’t supposed to be a goddamn cage match. The whole point is that different perspectives come together and hammer out solutions, not just scream at each other across a Twitter feed.

We got here because we stopped giving a f^%k about balance and started treating the other side like the enemy. That s#*t needs to change, or we’re all screwed.

So yeah—be informed, push for better voting systems, and for f^%k’s sake, don’t let Facebook tell you how to think.

And most importantly? Don’t be a d!ck.