We know you’ve probably seen the news about Republicans’ escalating efforts to gerrymander congressional districts through redistricting—the outcome of which could have major implications heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
So today, we wanted to give you some background on what exactly is happening in the high-stakes, multi-state redistricting battle—and how it relates to flipping the House next year. (Which is our main priority for the next 15 months, and essential to curbing Trump’s agenda.)
At the beginning of every decade, following the U.S. Census, states across the country go through a redistricting process to redraw their congressional district lines. It’s a process meant to set the political map for the decade ahead based on the most up-to-date, nonpartisan population data for each district.
At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
But right now, Republicans are pushing to redraw congressional district maps in the middle of the decade for purely partisan reasons: to carve out more reliable red seats and lock in their narrow House majority, before voters even get a chance to cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm elections.
It’s an outrageous attempt at consolidating power. And it will likely change the math on Democrats’ path to flip the House, including how many seats we need to win to regain control.
In Texas, Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and Nebraska, Republicans are exploring how to redraw their district lines to eliminate competitive districts and create more Republican-held seats. This practice is called gerrymandering, and it involves manipulating district lines to favor one party, reducing voters’ ability to choose their own representatives.
In response, Democrats are weighing countermeasures, but have been clear they will only move forward if Republicans redraw maps first. California Governor Gavin Newsom wants to allow voters to directly vote on new maps this November that could help Democrats win more seats, which would counteract Republicans’ actions in Texas. In New York, lawmakers might take action to amend the state’s constitution, a first step in allowing the state legislature to draw a new congressional map. If they happen, both moves would model ways to fight back in other states.
Because Swing Left is focused on helping everyone maximize their impact on flipping the House next year, we’ll be transparent about where your time or money will make the biggest difference, even as the political landscape changes. What isn’t changing is that control of the House will still come down to races won by small margins in the most competitive districts, which our strategy will continue to reflect.
Our political team is tracking all of it—from Republicans’ efforts in Texas, Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and Nebraska, to the ballot measure in California and further action in New York. This is an evolving situation, and we don’t know yet if our House targets will need to change. As we know more, we’ll be in touch with any updates to our strategy, should that be needed, alongside all the ways you can continue to help in the coming weeks.
Above all, our priority will remain putting our collective efforts into the most effective ways to elect a Democratic House majority, which is our best way to put a real check on the Trump administration and stop MAGA from advancing their agenda.
As always, we’re grateful for your partnership in this work. Together, we can meet this moment head-on to help save our democracy. More to come soon.
— The Swing Left Team
