Connections

Gerrymandering: A necessary evil?

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published April 23, 2026 at 4:15 PM EDT

Three people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at left has short dark hair, a dark beard and is wearing glasses and a light blue shirt, a young man at center has short brown hair and is wearing a short-sleeved, light blue shirt; a man at right has very short dark hair and is wearing glasses and a blue button-down shirt. — Avi Presberg and Austin DeLorme with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, April 23, 2026

The partisan redistricting battles in Texas, California, and Virginia have led to division and debate.

Our guests discuss the impact of gerrymandering and what it means for the future of U.S. politics and government.

Austin DeLorme, president of the University of Rochester College Republicans and columnist for "Right Side Talks"
Avi Presberg, executive director of the Monroe County Democratic Committee

Connections

Evan Dawson

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.

See stories by Evan Dawson

Megan Mack

Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.

See stories by Megan Mack

Julie Williams

Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.

See stories by Julie Williams