More states are moving to redraw US House districts after Trump urged it
for partisan gain
[October 07, 2025]
By DAVID A. LIEB
A mid-decade battle over congressional redistricting is playing out in
state capitals, in courtrooms and on the ballot.
The efforts to redraw U.S. House districts for partisan advantage got
jump-started when President Donald Trump called upon Republican-led
Texas to reshape districts so that the GOP could win more seats in next
year's elections.
Since then, lawmakers in Democratic-led California and Republican-led
Missouri have approved revised districts, and officials in more states
are considering it. Utah's Republican-led Legislature endorsed an
altered congressional map Monday — though in response to a court order,
not Trump's demands.
U.S. House districts typically are redrawn once a decade, immediately
after a census. But some states have no prohibition on doing it more
frequently. And the U.S. Supreme Court has said there is no federal
prohibition on political gerrymandering, in which districts are
intentionally drawn to favor one party.
The stakes are high, because Democrats need to gain just three seats in
the 2026 elections to take control of the House, which would allow them
to impede Trump's agenda. The president's party historically has lost
seats in midterm elections, a fate Trump is trying to avoid.
Texas judges hear legal challenge to new districts
Federal judges in Texas are considering a legal challenge to new
congressional districts passed at Trump’s urging during a special
legislative session in August. Civil rights groups and dozens of Black
and Hispanic voters contend the new map intentionally reduces minority
voters’ influence in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the
U.S. Constitution. They want to prevent the new districts from being
used.
Republicans hold 25 of the 38 congressional seats in Texas. The revised
map could give Republicans a shot at picking up five additional seats in
next year’s elections.
California voters are deciding on new House districts
Voting began Monday in California in advance of a Nov. 4 election that
will determine whether new congressional districts are implemented.
Democrats already hold 43 of California’s 52 seats. But after Texas
undertook redistricting, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom urged California
lawmakers to reciprocate. They did so by passing a revised U.S. House
map that could give Democrats a chance to gain five additional seats.
Unlike Texas, California has an independent citizens’ commission that
handles redistricting after the census. So any changes to the map need
voter approval.
Missouri redistricting faces potential referendum
After Texas and California took action, Missouri lawmakers joined the
redistricting battle by passing a revised U.S. House map designed to
give Republicans a shot at winning seven of the state’s eight districts
— one more than they currently hold. The map targets a seat held by
Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by stretching the Kansas City-based
district into rural Republican areas and reducing the number of minority
voters.
Opponents are pursuing a referendum petition that, if successful, would
force a statewide vote on the new map. Opponents also have filed several
lawsuits asserting that mid-decade redistricting isn't allowed under the
state constitution.
Utah lawmakers back new US House map
Utah's Republican-led Legislature passed a revised U.S. House map Monday
that could give Democrats an improved chance at competing for a seat.
Republicans currently hold all four of the state's seats.
The revised map would place Democratic-leaning Salt Lake City in a
single district that stretches into rural areas, instead of splitting
the city among multiple districts. But the revision still must be
reviewed by a judge, who is expected to approve a new map by November.
A Utah judge in August struck down the House districts adopted after the
2020 census because the Republican-led Legislature circumvented an
independent redistricting commission established by voters.
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Kansas Republicans may call themselves into session
Republican lawmakers who hold a supermajority in the Kansas
Legislature have been gathering petition signatures from colleagues
in an attempt to call a special session on congressional
redistricting in November. They are taking that route because
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is unlikely to call a special session.
Republicans already hold three of the state’s four congressional
districts. A revised map would target the suburban Kansas City
district held by Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids.
Indiana governor says redistricting session is probable
Republican Gov. Mike Braun has said that a legislative session on
redistricting probably will happen, potentially as soon as November.
Republican legislative leaders have met privately with Trump. But
Braun has been waiting to call a special session until he is
confident it will succeed.
Republicans hold a 7-2 edge over Democrats in Indiana’s
congressional delegation. The GOP likely would target a northwest
Indiana seat held by Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan. They also could
attempt to slice up an Indianapolis district held by a Democrat, but
that could stir opposition by diluting minority voters' influence.
Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms
Ohio will have new U.S. House districts for the 2026 elections,
though their shape remains to be determined. Republicans currently
hold 10 of the state's 15 congressional seats.
Ohio’s constitution requires new U.S. House districts because the
ones adopted by Republican officials after the 2020 census didn’t
have sufficient bipartisan support. If bipartisan consensus remains
elusive, Republican lawmakers in November could adopt revised
districts without need of any Democratic votes.
Maryland Democrats are proposing new districts
Some Democratic state lawmakers have said they will file
redistricting legislation for the 2026 session, and Democratic Gov.
Wes Moore also has expressed support.
“If we are going to have states in mid-cycle, in mid-decade,
determining whether or not they have fair maps or not, then so will
Maryland. Then, we should have that conversation, too,” Moore said
last week.
Democrats control seven of the state’s eight U.S. House seats and
could target an eastern Maryland district held by Republican Rep.
Andy Harris.
Revised Louisiana districts hinge on a court case
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 15 in a
legal challenge to Louisiana's U.S. House districts, currently held
by four white Republicans and two Black Democrats. A lawsuit
contends state lawmakers wrongly used racial demographics when
redrawing districts in response to a previous court ruling to give
Black voters a better chance at electing the representative of their
choice in two districts instead of one.
State lawmakers have been told to keep their calendars open between
Oct. 23 and Nov. 13 in case the Supreme Court rules quickly and
lawmakers could return for a special session on redistricting.
A trio of highly populated states have talked about redistricting
Officials Florida, Illinois and New York all have raised the
possibility of redrawing U.S. House districts.
Republican Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has created a special
committee to look into redistricting. Republicans currently hold 20
of the state's 28 seats.
Democrats already hold 14 of the 17 U.S. House seats in Illinois.
But Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker has said it’s possible to redraw
even more districts favoring Democrats.
New York has an independent commission that redraws districts after
every census. State Democrats have introduced legislation to allow
mid-decade redistricting, but the soonest new maps could be in place
would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would
require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would
have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.
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