Louisiana and Virginia take steps toward redistricting in a growing
battle for US House power
[October 30, 2025]
By DAVID A. LIEB, SARA CLINE, BRIAN WITTE and OLIVA DIAZ
Republican lawmakers in Louisiana and Democrats in Virginia pressed
ahead Wednesday with plans that could allow mid-decade redistricting as
part of a growing national battle for partisan advantage in next year's
congressional elections.
Louisiana lawmakers passed legislation pushing back the state's 2026
primary elections by a month — a move that could give lawmakers extra
time to redraw the state's U.S. House districts if the Supreme Court
strikes down the current boundaries.
Meanwhile, Virginia's House endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment
that, if ultimately approved by voters, would allow lawmakers to
temporarily bypass a bipartisan redistricting commission and redraw
congressional districts in response to similar efforts in other states.
President Donald Trump triggered a redistricting fray this summer by
calling upon Republican-led states to take the unusual step of redrawing
House districts to their advantage ahead of the midterm elections.
Redistricting typically occurs once a decade, immediately after a
census. But Trump hopes that redistricting now can help Republicans in
next year's elections hold on to the House, where Democrats need to gain
just three seats to win control and impede Trump's agenda.
Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina already have revised
districts at Trump’s urging, and Indiana's Republican governor has
announced a special session on redistricting. So far, California is the
only Democratic-led state to counter with a new congressional map, which
is going before voters in a Tuesday election.
Louisiana delays elections for potential redistricting
Legislation delaying Louisiana's congressional primary from April 18 to
May 16 passed along party lines Wednesday during a special session and
is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
While Louisiana’s election dates have been adjusted before due to
hurricanes, this change is in anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling in
a potentially far-reaching redistricting case. At issue is Louisiana’s
six-district congressional map, where lawmakers created a second
majority-Black district in response to a previous court ruling,
ultimately flipping a reliably Republican seat to Democrats.
Proponents of the current map say it offers fair representation for
Black residents, who comprise one-third of the population. Opponents
contend the second Black majority congressional district was
unconstitutionally gerrymandered based on race.
During arguments, the Supreme Court's six conservative justices appeared
inclined to effectively overturn the district boundaries. It's unclear
when a ruling will come.
Virginia Democrats eye a path to more House seats
A new congressional map could allow Virginia Democrats to expand their
current 6-5 edge over Republicans. But that requires a multistep
process, because a voter-approved constitutional amendment places
redistricting in the hands of a bipartisan commission.
After the 2020 census, that commission deadlocked, so a court imposed
districts that remain in use. The Virginia House on Wednesday voted for
a proposed constitutional amendment allowing lawmakers to draw new
districts in response to mid-decade redistricting elsewhere. To make the
statewide ballot, the proposal still needs Senate approval, then must be
approved by both chambers again in another legislative session.
"We're here to defend against the power grab” by Trump, Democratic Del.
Marcus Simon said.
But Republican Del. Chris Obenshain decried the amendment as a “power
grab” by Democrats and "a frightening attempt to resurrect a
Frankenstein’s monster of gerrymandering.”
Democrats haven't unveiled plans for how those new districts would be
shaped.
A Republican lawsuit contends the special session on redistricting
violates the state constitution.
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House Minority Leader Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, speaks to members
of the media during a special legislative session, Monday, Oct. 27,
2025, in Richmond, Va. (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Indiana isn't ready to start its special session
Republican Gov. Mike Braun called for a special session on
congressional redistricting to begin next Monday. But House Speaker
Todd Huston said Thursday that the chamber is still working on a
schedule and won't convene Monday.
A spokesperson for Indiana Senate Republicans said the Senate also
is unlikely to be ready next week. Under state law, the Legislature
has 40 days from Monday to complete a special session.
Maryland's Senate refuses to take up redistricting
Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson said his chamber won’t
move forward with redistricting, even though Democratic Gov. Wes
Moore and Democratic House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones have expressed
interest in it. Maryland Democrats already hold a 7-1 edge over
Republicans in the U.S. House.
Ferguson wrote in a letter Tuesday night to Senate Democrats that a
redistricting effort aimed at flipping a seat held by Republican
Rep. Andy Harris could jeopardize other seats now held by Democrats
and prompt more Republican-led states to retaliate with
redistricting.
“In short, the risk of redrawing the congressional map in Maryland
is too high, making the unlikely possibility that we gain a seat not
worth pursuing,” Ferguson wrote.
He noted that a congressional map adopted in 2021 was ruled
unconstitutional by a judge who described it as “a product of
extreme partisan gerrymandering.”
Maryland passed another map in 2022, and the parties dropped their
legal fight. Redrawing districts again could prompt a new legal
challenge and allow a court to impose districts, Ferguson wrote.
Five of the seven Maryland Supreme Court judges were appointed by
Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan.
Moore and Jones both said Wednesday that they hope to continue
redistricting discussions.
Illinois lawmakers remain reluctant to redistrict
Despite pressure from national leaders, Democrats in the Illinois
General Assembly say they won't take up redistricting while in
session this week. They left open the possibility to do so later.
Democrats hold 14 of the state's 17 U.S. House districts, which were
drawn to favor Democrats after the 2020 census. The Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee said it provided a proposed new map
to legislative leaders that could allow Democrats to win an
additional seat.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met Monday with
Democratic state lawmakers about redistricting, and the state's
Democratic Congress members released a statement urging
consideration of a new map.
But some lawmakers remain concerned that redrawing districts could
weaken representation for Black voters.
“We have to remind folks that those lines aren’t just political
boundaries,” Democratic state Rep. Kam Buckner said Wednesday. "They
are the visible record of invisible battles; they represent
neighborhoods that finally got a voice after a century of being
spoken for instead of behind heard.”
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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri; Cline from Baton Rouge,
Louisiana; Witte from Annapolis, Maryland; and Diaz from Richmond,
Virginia. Isabella Volmert contributed from Lansing, Michigan.
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