About
Current Role
Jonathan Cervas is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), specializing in redistricting, voting rights, and American political institutions.
Research
Jonathan Cervas’s recent research focuses on the impact of redistricting on representation and voting rights in the United States. His work examines how district boundaries affect electoral outcomes, minority representation, and compliance with legal standards. Cervas has published studies on the Electoral College, partisan fairness, and the consequences of gerrymandering, providing data-driven insights that inform both academic debates and real-world policy decisions.
Redistricting
Jonathan Cervas has served as a court-appointed expert and consultant in major redistricting cases across the United States. His professional work includes drawing congressional and legislative maps for New York as Special Master, advising the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission, and consulting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Cervas’s expertise has helped courts and commissions develop fair, legally compliant district plans, improve minority representation, and resolve complex voting rights disputes in states such as Alabama, Virginia, New York, and Wisconsin.
Media
Jonathan Cervas has been profiled by the New York Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and several other prominent news organizations. He has been quoted on several dozen news stories, and regularly asked to comment on local and national political issues.
Resources
These pages contain information for students who are looking for a letter of recommendation or to contribute to my research. I also include resources for the public and for journalists who are interested in redistricting and want to learn more.
A development project to build an interactive educational tool called “Better Know a District.” The platform helps users learn all 435 U.S. House congressional districts through an engaging map-based guessing game, where players identify districts (e.g., “NY-02” or “SD-AT-LARGE”) using visual geography cues.
The project aims to evolve into both an educational resource and a competitive game with scoring, progression, and optional leaderboards similar to Wordle. Contributors will help design gameplay mechanics, improve the map interface, refine district data accuracy, and develop features that support learning and competition.
Play Name That Congressional District