Texas is currently pursuing a GOP-led redistricting initiative that aims to secure five additional seats for Republicans, which would help maintain their slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Texas is not the only state where redistricting efforts are taking shape, as California and several others are also considering similar strategies in the lead-up to the midterm elections.
Typically, states redraw their congressional and legislative districts following the decennial census to account for shifts in population. In Texas, the redistricting process began after former President Trump suggested in mid-July that the state should adjust its boundaries to favor Republicans. Just a week prior, Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights division, had reached out to both the Texas governor and state attorney general, expressing concern that four of the state’s current districts were "coalition districts." These districts represent various racial groups supporting a common candidate but are considered "not protected by the Voting Rights Act."
Dhillon characterized these districts as remnants of past unconstitutional racial gerrymandering that should be eliminated and reformed in Texas.
This week, when asked about redistricting on CNBC, Trump stated, "they did it to us," blaming Democratic-controlled states for the unusual mid-decade redistricting efforts. "California is gerrymandered. We should have many more seats in Congress in California — it's all gerrymandered," Trump remarked. "And we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats."
Meanwhile, eight states utilize independent commissions to establish new district maps, which generally shields them from the ongoing gerrymandering debate. Yet in at least two of those states—New York and California—Democratic governors are actively seeking ways to circumvent this process to enhance their congressional majority.
In other regions, the congressional delegations are heavily tilted toward one party, limiting the potential for significant gains. For instance, Maryland's eight-member delegation includes only one Republican, while Democrats dominate 14 of the 17 House seats in Illinois.
As these redistricting efforts unfold, a pivotal case before the Supreme Court could greatly impact the Voting Rights Act and related concerns about alleged vote dilution. This dispute pertains to Louisiana’s congressional map, with the high court having heard arguments in March and scheduling a re-argument for its upcoming term starting in October.
This long-standing legal battle originated when Louisiana’s GOP-controlled legislature adopted a map featuring just one majority-minority district. A federal judge subsequently mandated the creation of a second majority-Black district, asserting that the original map likely breached Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana's current map now features two majority-Black districts among its six House seats.
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