Yep, the term gerrymander came from Governor Elbridge Gerry in 1812. he was a Democratic-Republican. But it’s common knowledge that party ideologies have completely flipped since then.
“Democrats” of Gerry’s time were the conservative, pro-states-rights faction, what later became the Southern Democrats who used gerrymandering and voter suppression as racist tools to maintain power. Over time, especially after the Civil Rights era, those voters and values shifted into today’s Republican Party.
So yep, gerrymandering started long ago. both parties have used it. and its modern form is still most often used to dilute the voices of racial minorities and preserve political control.
