America’s redistricting fight: how could the US congressional map shift?

Republicans hold a 219-213 majority in the House, but they could lock in more seats if reapportionments go their way

Republicans and Democrats have entered a war in legislatures and courts to narrow the political battlefield of 2026 before a single vote is cast.

Normally, redistricting only occurs after the US census counts residents in each state every 10 years. A demand from Donald Trump to lock in more Republican-leaning districts in Congress, together with a changing legal landscape around partisan gerrymandering, set off a chain of mid-decade reapportionments.