Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of boundaries of political district to favor on party or group.

It orginated from a map drawn by Massachusetts Gov. Eldridge Gerry in 1815 to enhance the number of seats his Jeffersonian Democratic Party could win against the Federalist Party.

One district was remarked to look like dragon or salamander. An illustration in the Boston Gazette dubbed the creature a “gerrymander” – and a political catchphrase was born.

“Republicans were given the opportunity to engage equally in the redistricting process, even having an equal number of seats on the committee. Unfortunately, they refused to engage meaningfully, showing up at the last minute with highly gerrymandered proposals and attempts to obstruct this constitutional process,” state House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner (D) and Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Andrea Salinas (D) said in a joint statement Monday. “The maps we’re voting on are fair, legally sound, reflect population growth and census data, and take into account the nearly 2,000 pieces of testimony we received from the public. We’re ready to get this work done.”