Redistricting battles continue to loom as we approach the 2026 midterms. Legislative sessions are closing out, maps are hitting the ballots, and the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) just released its consequential Louisiana v. Callais decision.
Louisiana v. Callais will, without a doubt, be the largest determinant of the redistricting battles still to come. The case challenged a Louisiana district map that created an additional majority-minority district (a district in which a racial minority group or groups comprise a majority of the district’s total population). Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits election practices that discriminate on the basis of race, but the case challenges whether the states may amplify the votes of a minority race using that criterion. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the opinion that the case determined whether the Voting Rights Act “should be added to our very short list of compelling interests that can justify racial discrimination.” The Court struck down the map and clarified that a Constitutional justification for racial gerrymandering is very narrow, confined only to protecting relative opportunity. Justice Kagan wrote a dissenting opinion that this high bar causes a “now-completed demolition of the Voting Rights Act.” If widely applied to the majority-minority districts across the U.S., we could see more Republican-favored redistricting before November.
However, primaries and early voting have already begun in some states, and it would be nearly impossible for red states to change their maps after citizens begin voting. Some states, like Missouri, Tennessee, and Florida, will not open the polls until August. They only have a few months to interpret these clarified Constitutional guidelines regarding their own district maps before the November election. Louisiana lawmakers have already said they will postpone their primary elections in response to the Court’s ruling.
But redistricting wars were underway long before the Court’s decision on Wednesday. Here’s what has changed since our last update:
California approved Proposition 50 on the November 2025 ballot, which temporarily changes district maps until the next census. The Cook Political Report projects this could give Democrats three to five more seats in Congress.
Texas is said to have started the battle back in last August when the legislature passed and the Governor signed new congressional maps projected to shift up to 5 seats toward GOP voters. The map was immediately challenged in court and struck down by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, the Supreme Court intervened this week and overruled the lower court, affirming the Constitutionality of the map’s use in this November’s election.
A constitutional amendment required Ohio to redraw its district lines because maps lacking bipartisan approval were limited in duration. The state’s redistricting commission approved new maps in October that will take effect this November. Cook projects the new maps could bring the GOP up to two additional House seats.
The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new map after the legislature overrode a citizen-approved proposition that required a commission to draw political boundaries. The currently solid red state will now have a district that voted D+24 in the 2024 presidential race.
Virginia voters approved a new map via ballot measure to allow the legislature “to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections.” Rather than the state commission, the state legislature will draw the map and is expected to favor Democrats by three to four congressional seats. A county judge refused to certify the results until the State Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of the process. Democrats requested an emergency stay, allowing the measure to move forward, but the state court denied the request. The Court has issued only a ruling on the appeal and has not yet issued an opinion on the merits.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a new map into law last September that would split Kansas City across several congressional districts. This would likely help Republicans gain one more seat in Congress. There is a ballot measure challenging the new map that will be voted on in November, or possibly during an earlier special election.
The North Carolina House and Senate approved a new map that is not subject to gubernatorial approval. The map would expand Rep. Don Davis’s (D-North Carolina, 1st) district to include more conservative voters, possibly flipping his seat red.
Several other states, including Indiana, Maryland, and Washington, introduced bills to alter their maps, but legislation died when the sessions ended earlier this year.
What to watch next:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special election to evaluate redistricting potential in the Sunshine State. His new plan could win Republicans an additional four seats this fall, and it passed the legislature earlier this week.
A New York judge ordered new congressional maps, saying the current lines did not afford proper black and Latino representation. The Supreme Court placed a temporary hold on the order while it considers another landmark redistricting case.
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee will continue to monitor and update as these situations progress. We stand firmly in gratitude that we live in a country where our voices are valued and protected. This guiding principle must lead every conversation of the election, leaving no room for unequal representation.
