State Redistricting: National Challenges of Securing a House Seat

Sarah Ramming, managing editor

As the midterm elections for 2026 are looming ever closer, Democrats and Republicans are jousting for control of the House of Representatives. The Republicans want to keep the majority firmly theirs, while the democrats want to win control. Both parties are using redistricting efforts to inch towards the majority goal. 

At the end of July, the Texas state government proposed a new redistricting measure that would give republicans an edge for five seats in the House of Representatives. The midterm elections in 2026 will put many House seats up for grabs.  

“On a national level, the partisan makeup of existing districts puts Democrats within three seats of a majority. The incumbent president’s party usually loses seats in the midterms.” said an article by PBS news on the ‘battle for the house’. 

To avoid a situation similar to 2018, where the Republican party lost control of the House in a midterm election, Texas is taking initiative to make certain that doesn't happen. In 2018, during President Donald Trump’s previous term, Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats, leaving the president unable to pass pieces of legislature. Many Republicans are fearing this may happen again, with President Trump calling for Texas to gerrymander districts to keep the House firmly in Republican control.  

The action of redistricting now, though, is strange. After the census, which happens every ten years, each state is required to redraw the congressional districts to account for population changes. Even though there are five years until the next census, President Trump is suggesting holding the census early.  

Gerrymandering has been an issue ever since the policy of redistricting House seats was introduced, named after Elbridge Gerry who created a district in the shape of a salamander. The 2019 supreme court rule that gerrymandered maps cannot be challenged in federal court was encouragement for both parties to skew congressional districts to misrepresent the voters of that area.  

“Congressional districts must be drawn with equal populations, as established in Baker v. Carr (1962), which opened the door for federal courts to hear redistricting cases. Districts must also comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent racial gerrymandering. States often add their own criteria, such as compactness and preserving communities of interest,” said Mrs. Graiser, an AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher at Johns Creek High School.  

This year has already been productive for President Trump’s presidency, as he has dealt tariffs and written executive orders for border control. If Republicans lose the house, it could leave President Trump stuck when trying to pass new legislature or having to face investigations like he did at the end of his previous term. The Texas effort would thwart that issue, leaving Democrats with no control in Congress or in the Executive branch. However, when Texas announced its plan to redistrict Congressional districts through a special legislative session, there was some pushback. 

When Texas’ House democrats became aware, more than 50 of them left the state to avoid having to vote, only for the Republican majority to pass the plan. This walk-out may have consequences for the democrats, yet with the minority in the Texas state house, this was the only way to postpone the vote. Many fled to democratic “blue” states such as Illinois or New York. The Texas Senate passed the new redistricted map, so the Texas House democrats fleeing is the most likely the last barrier other than a possible lawsuit that Texas republicans may face in-state.  (include interview lawsuit) 

The out-of-state issue comes from the response of democratic-controlled states, namely California. Though California has an independent commission to draw congressional maps, in an effort to remove the possibility of gerrymandering, the voters would have to approve new maps being drawn along with the final map that would be approved. Though other blue states have signified their willingness to assist in grabbing more seats in the house, so have other red states, including Ohio and Florida.  

“In Texas, the stakes are especially high due to its growing and diversifying population. The outcome could affect not only representation in Congress but also voter engagement and trust in democratic institutions.” said Grasier. 

The Texas redistricting endeavor is only one prong of the multi-faceted preparation for the 2026 midterm elections. With both parties using gerrymandering as a tactic, there is still a question of whether gerrymandering should be used as a political tool because of the bland misrepresentation of populations it perpetrates.