"Republicans and Democrats have entered a war in legislatures and courts to narrow the political battlefield of 2026 before a single vote is cast. Normally, redistricting only occurs after the US census counts residents in each state every 10 years. A demand from Donald Trump to lock in more Republican-leaning districts in Congress, together with a changing legal landscape around partisan gerrymandering, set off a chain of mid-decade reapportionments."
"Three representatives have died in office two Democrats and a Republican who have yet to be replaced. Each was in a district considered safe for their party. The Democrat Adelita Grijalva of Arizona has won election but, controversially, has not yet been seated. The Guardian used data from the Cook Political Report and local media to tabulate the aspirations of leaders in each state where redistricting before the 2026 midterms has been contemplated."
"Texas Redistricting goal: +5 seats for Republicans Texas was the first to conduct mid-decade redistricting, ramming it through the open revolt of minority-party Democrats in the legislature. The redistricting changes results based on the 2024 vote from a 25-13 Republican margin to 30-8, with seven Republican districts within a 10-point margin. Voting rights groups have challenged the redistricting on racial gerrymandering grounds, but the law has been enacted. Running total: +5 Republicans"
Republicans and Democrats are pursuing mid-decade redistricting and legal challenges to shape the 2026 congressional battlefield before any votes occur. A demand from Donald Trump and shifting law on partisan gerrymandering have prompted states to consider reapportionments outside the usual post-census cycle. The current House majority stands at 219-213, with three vacant seats and one contested Arizona representative not seated. Data from the Cook Political Report and local media tabulate leaders' redistricting aspirations across states contemplating changes. Texas enacted mid-decade maps that add five Republican seats and face racial gerrymandering lawsuits. California's legislature plans counter-redistricting to gain five Democratic seats and alter its constitutional commission.
#mid-decade-redistricting #partisan-gerrymandering #us-house-control #texas-redistricting #california-redistricting
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]