Democratic groups are pumping money into state legislative races this year, hoping to gain clout they can use to pass more favorable congressional maps.
The Republican State Leadership Committee, in a new memo shared with “Seen, Heard & Whispered,” warned of being outspent 3-to-1 by four liberal groups backing Democrats’ redistricting efforts. The RSLC plans to spend roughly $50 million.
“This flood of national liberal dollars into state legislative races should concern everyone who does not want to see a permanent Democratic House majority,” the memo read.
The focus on state legislatures comes after an unprecedented onslaught of mid-decade redistricting. Texas kicked things off last year with new congressional maps designed to net the GOP as many as five more House seats. California retaliated with a map that aims to add five seats for Democrats.
Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio and North Carolina also delivered more GOP-friendly maps.
Virginia tried to grab four seats for Democrats, but the state Supreme Court said lawmakers botched the process.
Republicans say Democrats are desperate to regain the advantage before the 2028 elections.
“State legislative races have never been more consequential because redistricting is now an every-cycle fight. More national liberal groups are trying to flip GOP chambers than ever before, spending more money than ever before, so they can rig U.S. House maps to their advantage in 2028 and beyond,” said RSLC President Edith Jorge-Tunon.
Housing hiccups for Trump
A former Trump White House official tells “Seen, Heard & Whispered” that President Trump has flubbed the affordable housing crunch issue.
It’s a massive worry for many millennials and Generation Z, but Mr. Trump and his administration have not engaged much on housing, the official said.
It’s all the more notable because he has been out front talking about affordability regarding prescription drugs and created Trump Accounts to promote savings and investment for newborns.
Mr. Trump even allowed a bipartisan housing bill to become law without his signature this summer, as a protest against Congress’ failure to pass his election integrity legislation.
A conservative leader aligned with the White House said there are options for Mr. Trump, should he want to engage.
“Housing is too expensive because of regulations. But what’s even more alarming is that it is the largest part of the economy that hasn’t had a digital transformation,” the conservative leader said. “This sector could be digitized rapidly. This would improve the lives of young consumers who now average 7.5 years of saving to afford their first down payment. Technology could help solve this problem.”
The median age of first-time homebuyers in 2025 reached an all-time high of 40 years old, accounting for a historically low 21% of the market, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The association noted that many older homeowners with equity can outbid new buyers for a relatively limited supply of homes.
Why November?
A bipartisan congressional coalition says the U.S. needs more than just a birthday celebration on July 4 — it needs a whole month to whoop it up over American greatness.
It wants to proclaim November as National American History and Founders Month as a way to “extend this tradition of unity and gratitude for the United States by deepening the understanding and appreciation for the United States by the people of the United States.”
The idea is being pushed by Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, both Republicans, and Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrat.
The legislation would urge schools to use the month to focus on civics and the history of America’s founding.
November was the month when George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving celebration in 1789, and when Abraham Lincoln set the last Thursday of the month as a national day of unity.
One conservative politico told “Seen, Heard & Whispered” that the lawmakers want to get the legislation passed before the end of America’s 250th birthday celebration, which began on July 4.
• Seen, Heard & Whispered is a weekly column taking you inside the conversations happening in Washington’s power corridors, the moves being made and the whispers that explain what’s really going on in the nation’s capital. Email tips to whispered@washingtontimes.com. Click here to receive this in your inbox every Friday morning.
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