America’s political parties are involved in several redistricting battles ahead of the 2026 midterm elections; the prize is control of the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. All House members face election every two years, and the midterms are less than six months away. Republicans currently hold a narrow 218–214 majority with three vacant seats — one previously held by a Democrat and two by Republicans — so even small changes in district lines could matter. Both parties are engaging in creative cartography, redrawing congressional district maps to favor their respective parties.
How We Got Here
In 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas to use a Republican-drawn, President Donald Trump–supported redistricting map for the 2026 congressional midterm elections while legal challenges proceed. The Texas map is designed to potentially secure five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House, primarily targeting Democratic districts in the Houston, Dallas, and Austin areas. The GOP-controlled legislature passed the map, and Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law.
Texas Democrats and civil rights groups immediately sued, alleging the map was a racial gerrymander. A three-judge panel in El Paso initially blocked the new map, ruling it was likely unconstitutional and ordering the use of the older 2021 maps. On appeal, the Supreme Court granted Texas’s request to stay the lower court’s injunction, permitting the 2025 map to be used for the 2026 midterms while the case proceeds. The Texas map, backed by the power and prestige of the White House, is seen by critics as Republican gerrymandering to help the party hold on to its narrow House majority.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded with a Democratic redistricting plan, accusing the president and Republicans of rigging the midterm elections by trying to reshape districts nationwide. California Democrats named the bill authorizing the special election to place the ballot measure on the ballot the Election Rigging Response Act, and the legislature passed it. California voters then approved Proposition 50, a measure that temporarily adopts a new congressional map and is projected to eliminate or flip up to five Republican-held or competitive seats, effectively making several districts much more favorable to Democrats.
Republican organizations and other plaintiffs sued in federal court to have the Democratic-drawn map blocked, alleging that it illegally relied on race to increase the voting power of Latino voters. Courts reviewing these claims have emphasized that while partisanship can play a role in drawing districts, race cannot be the predominant factor unless clearly justified under the Voting Rights Act. In a 2–1 ruling, the court rejected the racial gerrymandering claim, noting that voters had approved the measure and that there was insufficient evidence that California Democrats acted on impermissible racial grounds.
Not Done Yet
Both Democratic and Republican mapmakers are busy preparing new redistricting maps. As of early 2026, several states have either passed new congressional maps, are actively considering mid-decade redistricting, or have considered doing so ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. This wave of redistricting, aimed at shifting the partisan balance of the House of Representatives, is largely driven by efforts to redraw districts outside the standard post-census cycle.
Historically, the party in power tends to fare poorly in midterm elections; the sitting president’s party has gained House seats only three times since 1934, under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. President Trump appears to be attempting to avoid this pattern by reshaping congressional districts to favor Republicans before November 2026.
The Midterm Redistricting Numbers Game
Data from the decennial U.S. Census are used by state and local officials to implement “one person, one vote” representation. Conducted every 10 years, the census determines the allocation of the 435 U.S. House seats among the fifty states and shapes political power through reapportionment (adjusting House seats among states) and redistricting (redrawing electoral districts within states) based on population shifts.
The appeal of midterm redistricting is largely political expediency. Elections are held every two years for members of Congress, while the census is conducted every 10 years, and population shifts during that decade can erode the incumbent party’s advantage. In addition to counting the population, the census identifies population figures by gender, ethnicity, and race. Using existing census data and map configurations that have already survived judicial scrutiny can help insulate new midterm redistricting plans from further legal challenges.
States with New Maps
- Texas: Passed a new, Republican-friendly map in August 2025, which the Supreme Court recently ruled could be used in 2026 while litigation continues.
- Missouri: Approved a new Republican‑friendly map that is expected to preserve or slightly strengthen the GOP’s existing advantage.
- North Carolina: The Republican-led legislature enacted a new map designed to create an additional Republican-leaning seat.
- Ohio: Was required to redraw its districts after the previous map failed to meet bipartisan support requirements under the state constitution; a more bipartisan map was approved for 2026.
- California: Voters approved a measure that could effectively create the equivalent of about five additional seats favoring Democrats by eliminating or transforming Republican-leaning districts.
- Utah: Utah was required to redraw its map after the Utah Supreme Court enforced an anti-gerrymandering initiative and struck down the legislature’s earlier map as an unlawful partisan gerrymander. A new, court-ordered map keeps most of Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County in a single district, giving Democrats a realistic chance at a safe or strongly competitive seat there. In response, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has supported expanding the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven justices, a move widely seen as an effort to curb the court after it limited partisan gerrymandering.
States Considering or Initiating Redistricting
- Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for a special session in 2026 to consider new congressional maps.
- Maryland: Approved a new map with changes that modestly strengthen Democratic advantages in several districts.
- Virginia: Democratic leaders announced in late 2025 that they were exploring mid-decade redistricting, with the potential for new maps before 2026, though independent and bipartisan structures complicate the process.
States Awaiting the Outcome of Court Orders
These states are awaiting the outcome of federal or state court rulings that could redraw districts before the 2026 midterms.
Midterm redistricting was a common practice in 19th‑century American politics but fell out of favor in the 20th century. It has now returned as a political heavyweight match. For now, as the renowned phrase‑turner Yogi Berra famously said, “It ain’t over until it’s over.”
Related Resources
- Supreme Court Widens Candidate Standing to Challenge Mail‑Ballot Rules (FindLaw’s Federal Courts)
- Court Strikes Down Trump’s Citizenship Voting Order as Unconstitutional (FindLaw’s Federal Courts)
- Voting Rights History and Law (FindLaw’s Learn About the Law)
