These American states that are redrawing their boundaries to influence the midterms

Three times a week, The New York Times publishes an infographic that allows readers to “follow the battle to reshape Congress ahead of the midterms.” The Republicans and Democrats are competing for control of the House of Representatives, where the Republican majority hangs in the balance as they seek to redraw district lines where representatives are elected.

Currently, Republicans hold 5 more seats than Democrats in the 435-seat House of Representatives, which is completely renewed every two years. According to The New York Times, the recent redistricting efforts could potentially give them 6 to 9 additional seats in total in the upcoming November elections. This is significant in a country where the number of truly competitive seats has decreased.

Donald Trump initiated this battle by urging local officials of his party to redraw district lines. It is typically up to state legislators to redraw districts to account for population changes. This practice, known as “gerrymandering,” dates back to the early 19th century.

Context: Midterm elections are national elections held halfway through a president’s four-year term, usually for Congress.

Fact Check: The next potential redrawing of congressional districts will occur after the 2020 Census, not in 2025.

Republicans in Texas were the first to respond to the president’s call in 2025; others followed suit. Democrats tried to counter in states where they are the majority, particularly in California and Virginia. However, the state Supreme Court invalidated their new electoral map on May 8, a setback for Democrats who have now appealed to the federal Supreme Court.

The conservative-leaning federal Supreme Court handed another win to Republicans on April 29 by invalidating the creation of a new majority-black district in Louisiana. This ruling changed the scope of the Voting Rights Act, allowing Southern states where Republicans want to eliminate majority-black districts to proceed with redistricting efforts.

Democrats are still favored to win the House of Representatives, according to The Wall Street Journal, due to the unpopularity of the war in Iran and high gas prices. They acknowledge, however, that they will have difficulty catching up to Republicans in the “gerrymandering” race.