Republicans, led by President Trump, are driving an unprecedented wave of mid‑decade redistricting to protect a narrow House majority before 2026. Democrats are fighting back with their own mapmaking and legal challenges. Recent developments include a failed GOP vote in Indiana, a Supreme Court stay allowing Texas to use a new map that could yield up to five Republican‑leaning seats, and litigation over a California map designed to help Democrats flip five GOP districts. Pending court rulings — including possible changes to the Voting Rights Act — could intensify changes and threaten seats held by people of color.
Mid‑Decade Redistricting Fight Intensifies: Republicans Push Maps to Protect Narrow House Majority
Photo Illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN
President Donald Trump and Republican officials have launched an aggressive mid‑decade campaign to redraw congressional maps in multiple states with the explicit goal of protecting the party’s slim House majority ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Nationwide Back-and-Forth
Democrats have mounted counterefforts, setting off a series of legislative and legal battles that are reshaping the 2026 battlefield. These disputes span state capitols and courtrooms and will help determine which party controls Congress.
Recent State Developments
Indiana: In a notable setback for the Trump‑led push, Republicans in the Indiana State Senate blocked a proposed map that would have targeted the state’s two Democratic members of Congress. The measure failed after months of pressure on Republican holdouts, including threats of primary challenges from the president and his allies.
Texas: The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily stayed a lower court ruling that had barred Texas from using a plan that could create up to five additional Republican‑leaning seats. The stay allows Texas to use the map while legal challenges proceed.
California: The Biden administration — through the Department of Justice under the Trump administration’s direction, according to reporting — has sued California over a newly enacted map drawn by Democrats that is designed, in part, to blunt potential Republican gains by improving Democratic chances to flip five GOP seats. That map was approved overwhelmingly by voters in November.
How Redistricting Works
Redistricting is the process of redrawing congressional district boundaries, traditionally carried out once a decade after the decennial census. But mid‑decade redistricting has become a tactical tool in states where political control enables map changes more often.
The process varies by state: in some, state legislators redraw maps directly; in others, independent commissions or constitutional change and public votes are required. Those institutional differences shape how quickly and aggressively maps can be altered.
Who Stands To Gain — And What’s At Risk
Overall, Republicans currently appear to have more opportunities to gain seats through these new maps: the GOP controls state governments in more states, while many Democratic jurisdictions previously gave map‑drawing authority to independent commissions — a practice some are trying to reverse.
Across the country, six of the nine House members targeted by Republican‑enacted maps are Black or Latino, raising concerns among civil‑rights advocates about the potential racial impact of the new lines.
Legal Stakes
Numerous legal challenges aim to overturn enacted maps in several states. At the U.S. Supreme Court, justices may soon consider cases that could affect key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. A ruling that weakens those protections would likely open the door to more aggressive mapmaking and could imperil additional seats held by people of color.
What’s Next
CNN is tracking new maps and will continue to publish updates as states move through legislative processes and litigation. With control of the House finely balanced, mid‑decade redistricting could play a decisive role in shaping the 2026 midterms.
This story has been updated with additional information. — Contributors include Molly English, Arit John and Dianne Gallagher.
