LOCALIZE IT: Congressional redistricting kick-started by Trump spreading among states

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

President Donald Trump’s call to redraw U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 elections has led to a wave of political maneuvering among state-level Republicans and Democrats that continues to ripple across the country.

Politicians are reshaping congressional voting districts — a task typically done just once a decade, after each census — in an effort to give their parties’ candidates an edge in next year’s elections. The stakes are high because Democrats need to gain just three seats to wrest control of the House from Republicans, who are trying to buck a historical pattern of the president’s party losing seats in midterm elections.

The redistricting efforts have triggered protests, petition drives, ad campaigns and lawsuits.

View details below on states in the redistricting battle and on this AP map. The embed code for publishing the map can be found at the end of the guide.

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READ AP’S LATEST STORY

What to know about the congressional redistricting trend kick-started by Trump

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STATES WHERE LEGISLATURES HAVE PASSED NEW MAPS:

TEXAS

The new Texas congressional map, passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, is designed to give Republicans a chance of winning five additional seats in next year’s U.S. House elections. It quickly drew federal lawsuits and set off jockeying among both Democrats trying to hang on to their seats and Republicans trying to get to Congress.

The NAACP, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the League of United Latin American Citizens have all asked a federal court to block the new map as discriminatory against minority voters. A hearing is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 on whether the districts are legal and can go into effect.

CALIFORNIA

Revised California congressional districts, backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and passed by the Democratic-led Legislature, are designed to give Democrats a chance at winning five additional seats in next year’s elections. But they first must face a statewide vote in November.

The proposal would temporarily set aside districts crafted by an independent state commission and replace them with dramatically reshaped districts. Opponents of the proposal warn that it would undercut the work of an independent commission previously approved by voters.

MISSOURI

Missouri became the latest state to take action when the Republican-led Legislature brushed aside Democratic objections and passed new House districts aimed at helping Republicans win seven of the state’s eight districts, one more than they currently hold. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe has said he will sign the measure into law.

Opponents have begun gathering petition signatures seeking to force a statewide referendum on the new map. They have until Dec. 11 to submit around 110,000 valid signatures, which would put the map on hold until a public vote. A referendum normally would occur in November 2026 — too late to use the districts in that same election. But state lawmakers could set an earlier referendum, potentially coinciding with April 7 municipal elections. The new map already faces several lawsuits.

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STATES THAT MUST REDRAW U.S. HOUSE DISTRICTS:

OHIO

Ohio’s constitution requires new House districts because the ones adopted 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.

UTAH

A Utah judge struck down the House districts adopted after the 2020 census because the Republican-led Legislature circumvented an independent redistricting commission established by voters. The Legislature faces a Sept. 25 target to release a new proposal for public comment, with a final vote expected in October and court approval of a new map in November.

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STATES CONSIDERING MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING:

FLORIDA

Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez has said his chamber will take up redistricting through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has reiterated his support for the state to join the redistricting fray.

INDIANA

Pressure from Trump to redraw House districts has been mounting on Indiana Republicans. Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said a legislative session on redistricting probably will happen, and it could come as soon as November.

KANSAS

Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson is considering a session on congressional redistricting.

LOUISIANA

Republican leaders have told state lawmakers to keep their calendars open between Oct. 23 and Nov. 13. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 15 over a challenge to the state’s congressional map. Republican state Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, who chairs a House committee overseeing redistricting, said the idea is to have lawmakers available to work on redistricting in case the Supreme Court issues a ruling quickly.

MARYLAND

Democratic state lawmakers have said the will file redistricting legislation for consideration during the 2026 session.

NEW YORK

Democrats have introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting, but the soonest a new map could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, which would have to pass the Legislature twice and then be approved by voters.

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NEW GERRYMANDERING COULD DISRUPT NATIONAL POLITICAL EQUILIBRIUM

The push to redraw districts for partisan advantage — a process known as gerrymandering — is unfolding during a time of unusual political balance in Congress.

The 220-215 House majority that Republicans won over Democrats in the 2024 elections aligns almost perfectly with the share of the vote the two parties received in districts across the U.S., according to a recent Associated Press analysis.

Although Democrats and Republicans each benefited from the way districts were drawn in particular states, those advantages essentially canceled each other out. When adding results from all states, the AP’s analysis showed that Democrats nationwide won just a fraction of a seat more than expected last year. Because congressional seats aren’t allotted by fractions, the net result was that each party’s share of House seats corresponded with their share of the votes.

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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS

— If your state has undertaken or is considering congressional redistricting, talk to voters in districts that could be affected. Do they think their views are represented well by the current districts? What issues are most important to them? What do they think of the revised districts?

— If your state legislature has voted on U.S. House redistricting, how did you local representative and senator vote? Did they follow the party line or break ranks? Ask them why they voted as they did.

— Is redistricting something that resonates in your community? Are residents even aware of what congressional district they live in? Where do district lines rank in their list of concerns and policy priorities? Have citizen activists or party loyalists been rallying support or participating in protests against the possibility of redistricting?

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READ ADDITIONAL AP COVERAGE

Missouri Senate passes Trump-backed plan that could help Republicans win an additional US House seat

California Gov. Newsom signs legislation calling special election on redrawn congressional map

Arnold Schwarzenegger enters fight on US House control, urges vote against new California districts

Texas lawmakers give final approval to redrawn congressional map favoring GOP, send to governor ___

EMBED THIS GRAPHIC

Which states are considering redistricting?

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