The mid-decade redistricting effort in Texas has been yet another pressure point for the GOP. It has split the party, with more states looking to follow in the Lone Star State’s footsteps.
Many Republicans have backed this aggressive redistricting effort, standing with President Donald Trump, while some party members have begun expressing their concerns on the issue.
“Gerrymandering is a disaster for the country and both parties have been responsible for it,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) wrote on X. “I am fighting to ban it nationwide.”
The Texas state legislature began redrawing the state’s congressional districts earlier this month, a move backed by the Trump administration. The redistricting effort would create 30 Republican congressional seats, compared to just eight Democratic districts, a five-seat boost for the GOP from its current 25-13 advantage.
Along with Texas, the administration has also begun lobbying Missouri, Indiana, and others to do the same. This push comes as Republicans fight to keep their ultra-slim majority in the House.
Despite a visit from Vice President JD Vance, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) has shown little interest in making any move for a rare mid-decade redistricting, as state representatives have been outspoken in rejecting the push.
Indiana Republicans and Lawler are not the only faction of the party pushing back on the efforts.
“I’m not somebody who’s supportive of any type of gerrymandering,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said on The Joe Piscopo Show earlier this week.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) posted on X, quoting a poll saying “California voters oppose [Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA)] redistricting sham by a 2-to-1 margin,” as he urges his state to stay out of the redistricting wars, while Newsom continuously fires back at Trump.
In response to Texas’s effort, some blue states have pledged to “fight fire with fire” by redrawing their maps to draw out Republican districts in their fight to flip the House next November. A push has begun for California, Illinois, and New York to redraw their congressional districts, though they face more hurdles than red states to do so, such as overcoming independent redistricting commissions.
California Republicans, who would be targeted by Newsom’s redistricting efforts, have been outspoken. Republicans in New York, another state that could use redistricting to push back against the administration, have also been outspoken.
Despite a recent poll showing deep support for the current independent redistricting commission by a 2-to-1 margin, Newsom plans to plow forward with the effort. The governor called a Nov. 4 special election on Thursday to have voters approve a constitutional amendment to put out a new map, approved by the legislature, for elections in 2026 through 2030, where the commission would resume its role after the 2030 census.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) was hammered in a town hall during his district work period earlier this week. During the town hall, he broke from the administration on tariff policy and split with the party on the redistricting efforts.
“Texas shouldn’t be doing that,” LaMalfa said. “This is going to start a grass fire across the country, every single state trying to change it based on a political outcome.”
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD), the sole Republican in the Maryland delegation, spoke out against the effort.
“I think that we should probably shy away from mid-cycle redistricting,” Harris told Fox. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) echoed this sentiment in a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune, saying it undermines “norms ” and is a “step too far.”
Democrats are on defense in the House, with 40 seats rated competitive compared to the 29 marked competitive for the GOP. Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to flip the House. Historically, the House flips to the party opposite the White House in the midterm elections, as it has for the last five presidencies.
Democrats have responded to the pushback from some Republicans by pointing out that all of them voted against the 2021 For the People Act, which would have ended congressional gerrymandering.
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“That’s great if you’re pushing back on it, but I think the reality is that we’re looking back at records, and if you didn’t show up and vote for the ban on gerrymandering previously, well, we’ve got your number,” CEO of Girl and the Gov Sammy Kanter told the Washington Examiner.
“So it’s a little bit too late in the game, at that point when your party has come out with a full stance towards something and taken action to achieve it, it’s great if you’re speaking out against it, but words don’t do much, action is what’s important,” she continued.