POLICY and PRACTICE

Ohio Redistricting Commission Unanimously Approves New Congressional Map with Implications for the Mid-Decade Push

By EditorOct 31, 20250 Comments

Ohio’s seven-member Redistricting Commission voted unanimously today to approve a new congressional map that will govern the state’s 15 U.S. House districts starting with the 2026 election cycle. The bipartisan deal preserves a GOP advantage and could shift the balance from the current 10-5 split to something closer to 12-3. Commissioners from both parties backed the plan to meet the Oct. 31 constitutional deadline and avoid sending map-drawing back to the legislature. Why a new map was required: under Ohio’s 2018 reform (Article XIX), the 2021 congressional map was adopted without the required bipartisan supermajority, authorizing it to govern only…

Ohio, Strategy and PoliticsLatest, mid-decade redistricting, Ohio, ohio redistricting commission, policyindepth

North Carolina Becomes the 3rd State to Enact a Mid-Decade Congressional Map

By EditorOct 25, 20250 Comments

North Carolina has enacted a mid-decade congressional map that analysts say will shift the state’s delegation from 10 - 4 to 11 Republicans and 3 Democrats. GOP lawmakers pushed the plan through both chambers on Wednesday, October 22. Because the North Carolina constitution exempts redistricting bills from the governor’s veto, the map became law the moment the House vote concluded. Local coverage notes the new lines overhaul the coastal 1st District, trimming its Black voting-age share below 40 percent and adding Republican-leaning counties, while shoring up neighboring GOP seats. View a PDF of the map. The mid-cycle redraw comes after…

North Carolina, Strategy and PoliticsLatest, mid-decade redistricting, North Carolina, policyindepth

Missouri Redistricting Effort Faces Referendum and Legal Challenges

By EditorOct 20, 20250 Comments

Missouri's new congressional map, signed into law by the state's Republican Governor late last month, has prompted an immediate and organized voter response. The new map seeks to realign the state’s representation, targeting a longtime Democratic seat and potentially shifting the congressional delegation from six Republicans and two Democrats to seven Republicans and one Democrat. Missouri is noted as the second state, following Texas, to implement a gerrymandered map amidst a nationwide redistricting battle. In opposition to the legislatively approved boundaries, the group People Not Politicians Missouri has mobilized approximately 3,000 volunteers to collect signatures for a petition aimed at…

Missouri, Strategy and Politicsmid-decade redistricting, Missouri

Missouri Legislature Adopts New Congressional Map and Initiative Petition Reforms Amid Legal Challenges and Referendum Push

By EditorSep 14, 2025

The Missouri Senate recently concluded a special session by passing a new congressional map and a proposal aimed at restricting the initiative petition process. The redistricting plan, approved by a 21-11 vote, seeks to convert U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City-based 5th District into a Republican-leaning seat, marking a significant reversal from past legislative sessions. This push for new district lines was notably influenced by President Donald Trump, who reportedly pressured GOP-led states like Missouri to enact new maps before the 2026 midterm elections. The measure faced strong opposition from Democrats, who questioned the constitutionality of mid-decade redistricting, citing the…

Strategy and Politicsmid-decade redistricting, Missouri, News, policyindepth

Missouri, New York, and Louisiana Consider Taking Early Steps Toward Possible Mid-Cycle Map Redraws

By EditorAug 22, 2025

All three states are laying procedural groundwork but face distinct hurdles: executive hesitation and intra-party risk in Missouri, constitutional lead times in New York, and judicial uncertainty in Louisiana. Missouri: Gov. Mike Kehoe is “assessing options” for a special session after former President Donald Trump urged a 7-1 GOP map. No draft lines have been released, but Republican leaders say any plan would likely split Kansas City’s 5th District to unseat Democrat Emanuel Cleaver. New York: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie confirms leaders are “having discussions” after Gov. Kathy Hochul floated a Texas-style response, yet notes any mid-decade map would require…

Strategy and Politicslouisiana, mid-decade redistricting, Missouri, new york, policyindepth

California High Court Rejects GOP Bid to Halt Mid-Decade Redistricting Measure

By EditorAug 20, 2025

The California Supreme Court has dismissed a Republican petition that sought to halt Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to place a mid-decade congressional redraw on the November ballot, saying that "petitioners [GOP lawmakers] have failed to meet their burden of establishing a basis for relief at this time under California Constitution article IV, section 8." The unsigned order, issued Aug. 20, leaves in place Democrats’ “gut-and-amend” legislation that would temporarily suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission and let voters decide whether to adopt new maps projected to add up to five Democratic seats, an answer to Texas Republicans’ July remap. The…

California, Strategy and PoliticsCalifornia, lawindepth, mid-decade redistricting, STATENEWS

Texas Legislature Releases its First Congressional Map in Special Session

By EditorJul 30, 2025

Republican leaders in the Texas House have unveiled a draft congressional map for the ongoing special redistricting session, explicitly aiming to deliver up to five additional GOP seats, an outcome President Trump has publicly encouraged. Gov. Greg Abbott placed redistricting on the session’s agenda after Trump’s Department of Justice warned that portions of the current map may be unconstitutional. Still, House Republicans have acknowledged that partisan advantage is a central motive of this mid-decade redraw. The draft is still subject to amendment during the special session, and it is unclear whether additional versions will emerge. The aggressive move in Texas…

Strategy and PoliticsLatest, News, Texas, texas redistricting

Alaska Redistricting Board Adopts Proposed Redistricting Plans

By EditorSep 10, 2021

Press Release: Sept. 9 2021 For Immediate Release: September 9, 2021 ANCHORAGE – Today the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted two proposed redistricting plansin accordance with Alaska Constitution Article VI Section 10, which requires adoption of at leastone proposed plan within thirty days after the official reporting of the decennial census of theUnited States. The census data was received on August 12, 2021.“We have fulfilled our constitutional obligation and I’m pleased to begin the process of hearingfrom the public over the next 60 days as we develop our final plan,” said Board Member NicoleBorromeo. The Board will be meeting on Friday,…

Enacting a Redistricting Map, NEWS, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting CommissionsAlaska, enacting, IN-DEPTH, policyindepth, STATENEWS

Listen: JMU Podcast Interviews David Wasserman on What to Expect for the 2020 Redistricting Cycle

By EditorSep 01, 2021

The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement Democracy Matters podcast series interviews redistricting expert David Wasserman, Senior Editor, U.S. House of Representatives for The Cook Political Report about what this redistricting cycle will look like across the nation. Listen below. Democracy Matters Podcast August 26, 2021

POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, Redistricting LitigationAnalysis, policyindepth

NJ Supreme Court Selects 13th Congressional Commission Member after Commissioners Deadlock

By EditorAug 08, 2021

The New Jersey Supreme Court selected former Supreme Court Justice John E. Wallace, Jr. as the tiebreaking member of the Congressional Redistricting Commission. The 13-member NJ Redistricting Commission is responsible for redrawing congressional districts. The appointed members of the commission were unable to agree on who to select as the independent 13th member before a mid-July deadline, and were required by state law to forward the two candidates who received the highest number of votes to the State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was tasked with selecting the "more qualified" of the two selections by majority vote of its full authorized membership…

NEWS, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting FunctionsNew Jersey, redistricting commissions, STATENEWS