A nationwide redistricting scramble is underway, with Republicans and Democrats racing to redraw congressional maps ahead of November’s midterm elections — and the stakes couldn’t be higher for control of the House.
The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Texas’ redrawn congressional map, reversing a lower court ruling that had found the new districts to be an illegal racial gerrymander. The brief order cited the high court’s own reasoning from late last year, when it allowed the map to remain in effect. The court’s three Democrat-appointed justices dissented.
Texas redrew its map last year at the urging of President Trump, eliminating several minority-majority districts. Republicans expect the new lines to net the GOP five House seats.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session beginning Tuesday to consider new district lines that analysts say could produce a 24-4 Republican advantage in the state’s congressional delegation — up from the current 20-8 split. Mr. DeSantis denied the move was politically motivated, telling Fox News that Florida was “shortchanged” in the 2020 census.
Both states are responding in part to Virginia’s narrow vote last week to adopt a Democratic-drawn map that would nearly wipe out Republican representation in the state’s congressional delegation. That map still faces legal challenges.
Read more:
• Supreme Court backs Texas’ GOP-friendly congressional map
• Ron DeSantis debuts new Florida congressional map for November elections
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