Virginia's approval shifts Trump's redistricting war, see where states stand

President Donald Trump's campaign to draw new election maps and ensure Republican victory in the November midterm elections has kicked off an all-out redistricting war.

It began when Texas Republicans introduced a new map of election district boundaries designed to flip seats held by Democrats. California responded with a map that could unseat Republicans. The GOP held an early lead, but Democrats have gained ground since. Mid-decade redistricting was once a rare phenomena.

On April 21, Virginia voters approved a full redrawing of the state’s congressional districts, a change that could blunt President Donald Trump's push to expand the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republicans hold their current House majority by three seats, so even a small shift in the balance of power could change the course of the Trump presidency. Voters, of course, still have to vote.

Here's the current status of partisan power battles across the country:

States currently redistricting for the midterm elections

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Texas could add up to five Republican seats

A December ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the new Republican-drawn map. The 6-3 decision overruled a lower court that found it likely to have discriminated against minorities.

More than 50 Democrats left the state in protest and temporarily prevented implementation of the map but Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, ultimately signed it into law last August. The existing 2021 map, also drawn by Republicans, already allowed the party to control 25 out of 38 seats.

Missouri could add one Republican seat

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican, approved new district boundaries in September, breaking up a Democratic area in Kansas City and ensuring Republican advantage in elections for all but one of the state's eight seats. Some opposed to the action are attempting to force a referendum vote, others have filed lawsuits.

Ohio could add up to two Republican seats

In October, the Ohio redistricting commission, comprised of two Democrats and five Republicans, unanimously approved district boundaries that increase the odds that Republicans will flip two seats occupied by Democrats. State law required a new map for 2026 because the previous one was implemented without Democratic votes. Republicans control 10 of 15 seats in the state.

North Carolina could add one Republican seat

In October, the Republican majority in North Carolina's legislature approved a map targeting a Democratic-held district. Republicans could end up controlling 11 of 14 house seats in the swing state. Democratic Governor Josh Stein was not involved in the process due to state law.

Florida could gain up to five Republican seats

In April, a special legislative session called by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis will focus on redistricting, potentially targeting three to five incumbent Democrats. Such an effort may not have enough legislative support, and will need to overcome legal barriers including a constitutional amendment that prevents partisan mapping.

DeSantis and the legislature approved a map that benefited Republicans in 2022 after which the party assumed control of four seats held by Democrats. Republicans currently occupy 20 of Florida's 28 seats.

Indiana's effort to redistrict failed

The Republican-controlled Senate issued a rare rebuke to Trump when they refused to accept a new map designed to unseat the state's only Democratic representatives. Republicans hold seven of Indiana's nine House seats.

Kansas' effort to redistrict failed

Republicans backed away from a Trump-supported attempt to redistrict Kansas after Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins said that there was not enough legislative support to overcome a veto by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. Republicans hold three of the state's four House seats.

California could add up to five Democratic seats

Last November, voters overwhelmingly approved new districts backed by Democratic lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom. The new map, a direct response to Abbot's Texas redistricting that the Supreme Court has since approved, was intended to take as many as five seats occupied by Republicans. Democrats currently hold seats in 43 of 52 California districts.

Virginia could add four Democratic seats

On April 21 Virginia voters approved a new Democratic-drawn map in a special election that could flip up to four Republican U.S. House seats. If successful the flip could eliminate all but one Republican-leaning district in the Old Dominion State.

There are still challenges for the Democrats though. Republicans are pushing-back arguing that Democratic lawmakers did not follow the law when approving the proposed referendum. The state Supreme Court could still decide to invalidate the referendum although it allowed the vote to proceed.

Democrats hold six of Virginia's 11 House seats, which could grant them a 10 to 1 advantage in the midterm elections.

Utah could add one Democratic seat

A Utah judge rejected a Republican map as illegally partisan in favor of an alternative that is likely to shift one of four Republican-occupied seats to Democrats. A federal appeals court panel on Feb. 23 rejected a GOP bid to block the new map, leaving Republicans with the U.S. Supreme Court as their next option. 

Efforts to redistrict in Maryland stalled

On Feb. 2, Democratic legislators proposed new district boundaries that threatened the state's only Republican-held seat. Democrats hold seven of Maryland's eight House seats. However, Maryland's Senate president, Democrat Bill Ferguson, said there is not enough support to move forward with a vote on the redistricting legislation.

New York could add one Democratic seat

Republicans are counting on the U.S. Supreme Court to block New York's independent redistricting commission from redefining a Staten Island district, which could allow Democrats to win the seat in November.

The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority put that decision on hold on March 2, granting a request from the incumbent Republican, Nicole Malliotakis.

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has promised to respond to a new Texas map, but New York will likely prevent any redistricting effort until after the 2028 election. Democrats hold 19 of New York's 26 House seats.

What is gerrymandering?

Merriam-Webster defines gerrymandering as this: "to divide (a territorial unit) into election districts to give one political party an electoral majority in a large number of districts while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few districts as possible."

The term can be traced back to Elbridge Gerry, the governor of Massachusetts in 1812, according to the Library of Congress. Gerry used his power to push through a redistricting map that would keep his political party in power. The resulting map looked like a salamander, so the Boston Gazette called it a "Gerry-mander."

Is redistricting the same thing as gerrymandering?

Redistricting simply refers to the act of redrawing district lines based on U.S. Census data. If your state grew in population, you get more representatives. If it shrunk, you lose representatives.

Each states has its own process for redistricting, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. This process typically occurs every ten years. In most states, state legislators draw up maps, and the governor has the power to veto it. A few states have independent commissions that create the maps, in order to stop politics from getting in the way of the process.

Gerrymandering is the deliberate process of redrawing lines to sway electoral outcomes in favor of a certain political party.

Republican strategist Karl Rove described the concept in a 2010 Wall Street Journal column: "He who controls redistricting can control Congress"

"Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats," Trump told reporters on July 15.

"Buckle up, Donald Trump. California is about to get a whole lot bluer, thanks to you," Newsom said in an Aug. 1 post on X.

Contributing: Joseph Ax and Andy Sullivan, Reuters; Phillip M. Bailey, Jessica Estepa, Darren Samuelson, and Shawn J Sullivan, USA TODAY