GOP Has the Upper Hand in Nationwide Redistricting Battle

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]We have updates this morning on the nationwide redistricting battles.

[00:00:05]Several states are moving forward on plans to make their congressional maps more friendly for Republicans. NTD's Molina Weissup joins us live with the updates. Good morning, Molina. States like Texas, Florida, Ohio, and others have already solidified their maps.

[00:00:21]Which states are working towards this now?

[00:00:27]>> Right. Good morning, Steph. So, at this point, there are a handful of Republican states that are close to approving maps or overcoming court challenges to use their already approved maps. Um, so Louisiana State Legislature is nearly done with this process right now. A vote could happen as early as today to approve its new map. State lawmakers want to get it approved by June 1st. So, Louisiana's map would eliminate one of two majority black districts and ultimately give Republicans a 5 to1 advantage over Democrats for congressional seats in November. Now remember Steph, this is the result of a recent Supreme Court ruling that said that Louisiana's creation of a second majority black district was unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

[00:01:02]But over in South Carolina, a map that would have given Republicans a better shot at flipping one more seat from blue to red stalled earlier this week. On Tuesday, Republican senators in the state blocked the map from moving forward, raising the issue with the fact that it would have effectively stopped the election um to implement those new maps after South Carolina's early voting already began. Um, so I'll give you an example of what one of those opposing Republican senators said. State Senator Richard Cash said, "Neither my conscience nor common sense will allow me to stop an election that has already begun, but South Carolina could take up this new map and have um an easier chance at getting it done for the next election cycle." Steph, >> all right. Now, you also said there are several states with new maps working their way through the courts. What are you watching in those cases?

[00:01:52]Right. So, just yesterday, both Missouri and Alabama maps were met with court rulings over in Missouri, the state supreme court rejected a constitutional challenge to the state's redistricting plan. The ruling ultimately paved the way for Missouri's new Republican friendly map to become effective. The map that we're talking about here was approved last year by the Missouri state legislature, and it's expected to give Republicans one more congressional seat.

[00:02:17]Alabama's case is a little more complicated. Basically, we're seeing a year'slong debate uh over redistricting in Alabama come to a head now after the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act. Like I mentioned earlier, um that ruling ultimately said race can't be a dominating factor considered when uh states draw their districts. Alabama Republicans are now after that ruling happened working to reignite the use of an older 2023 map, one that had only one majority black district. But courts at the time forced Alabama to draw a second black majority district um after opposers argued that the 2023 map diluted minority voting power. Well, now all of this is back in question again.

[00:02:56]Earlier this week, a federal district court panel ordered Alabama to continue using its 2024 court ordered map with the two majority black districts. But now the legislature is asking the Supreme Court to get involved. Alabama's attorney general just yesterday sent an emergency application to the Supreme Court asking for it to allow the use of that 2023 map for this election cycle.

[00:03:19]And like I mentioned, if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Alabama, they will be able to have uh one one more seat uh flipping one more seat from blue to red uh come November. stuff. So, can you give us an overall look at where things stand for congressional seats, how these redistricting battles could shape the majority party during the midterms?

[00:03:42]Well, as of right now, the best case scenario for Republicans after redistricting in these several states that we just spoke about, um, they could see a net gain of around 16 seats.

[00:03:51]Sorry, a net gain of 10 seats. um overall 16 seats, but that's uh off countered by uh Democrat gains in two seats. Um so that's adding up all the states so far. You talk about Texas, Ohio, Florida, the ones that we just spoke about, Louisiana, Alabama, several of them. Um they could collectively give Republicans a net of 10 seats. While blue states have altered their map successfully in just two states, Utah and California, they could potentially gain a maximum of six seats. So, as of right now, Republicans certainly have the upper hand in this nationwide redistricting battle. Steph.

[00:04:23]>> All right, thanks for the update. NTD congressional correspondent Molina Weissup.