The White House wants more states to redraw House maps to help GOP. Democrats are readying a fight

By MEG KINNARD and JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is eyeing redistricting efforts beyond Texas to help Republicans hold the U.S. House in 2026 — and Democrats are preparing to escalate in response, with one senator vowing to go “nuclear” if needed.

What’s shaping up to be a multi-state redistricting battle could mark the opening round for House control ahead of next year’s midterms, when Democrats see retaking the House as the party’s best chance to break Republicans’ hold on Congress and President Donald Trump is determined to keep the GOP’s majority. Democrats, under pressure from their base to match GOP tactics, have grown more forceful in their messaging and are taking concrete steps to push back, even as the party enters at a disadvantage.

“If they’re going to go nuclear, then so am I,” said Sen. Elissa Slotkin. “They’re forcing us into this position because they’re trying to pick their voters.”

At Trump’s urging, Texas Republicans are looking to redraw congressional maps to favor GOP candidates during a 30-day special legislative session that started this week. Trump has said he wants to carve out five new winnable GOP seats.

But Trump officials are now going beyond just Texas, looking to redraw lines in other states such as Missouri, according to a person familiar with conversations but unauthorized to speak publicly about them.

Democrats have fewer options. More of the states the party controls do not allow elected partisans to draw maps, instead entrusting groups such as independent commissions to draw fair lines.

Still, party leaders are exploring their legal options and shifting their posture. A party long known for believing it’s on the moral high ground is signaling it’s ready to fight dirty.

“We can’t fight with one hand behind our backs,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters Tuesday.

Democrats explore their own redistricting map plans

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries may have fewer options to match Republicans, but it hasn’t stopped him from exploring them.

Earlier this month, Jeffries’ team spoke with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office about redistricting after the news in Texas, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Drawing new congressional lines now could run afoul of the state constitution and undoubtedly draw legal challenges — but it doesn’t appear to be off the table.

“What I’m going to say is, all is fair in love and war,” Hochul said Thursday, adding that she’s “going to see what our options are.”

“If there’s other states that are violating the rules that are going to try and give themselves an advantage, all I’ll say is I’m going to look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries.”

Jeffries and his advisers have also examined legal strategies in other states with Democratic trifectas, including California, where he recently met with the state’s congressional delegation.

“Two can play this game,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential Democratic contender for president in 2028, said on social media in response to Trump’s redistricting push.

An independent commission handles redistricting in his state. Newsom has floated the notion of California’s Democratic-controlled legislature doing a mid-decade redistricting, arguing it wouldn’t be expressly forbidden by the 2008 ballot initiative that created the commission. He’s also mentioned the possibility of squeezing in a special election to repeal the popular commission system before the 2026 elections get underway, either of which would be a long shot.

Democrats see redistricting fight as an avenue to pushback

Beyond the behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Democrats see the redistricting fight as an opportunity to meet the moment politically — delivering the kind of aggressive pushback their voters have demanded.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, in a series of social media posts, pushed Democrats to fight back, saying the party should “gerrymander to help Democrats” and arguing they should dilute heavily Democratic districts to secure more seats “everywhere.”

“It’s time for Democrats to understand the existential threat. Republicans aren’t playing around and they will do this as long as it takes to keep power,” he warned.

Gallego later told the Associated Press it’s simply about ensuring “that we’re also fighting back.”

That sentiment has gained traction beyond Congress. Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke said Sunday on CNN that Democrats need to be “to be absolutely ruthless about getting back in power.”

Next month, former President Barack Obama is heading to Martha’s Vineyard for a fundraiser benefitting the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group that has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Eric Holder, Obama’s former attorney general who chairs the outfit, is expected to attend, along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to a copy of the invitation first reported by Politico.

The group has been critical of Texas’ efforts, in a release earlier this week accusing Texas Republicans of “following Donald Trump’s orders to try to cheat their way to a House majority because they are terrified of facing voters after taking health care away from millions of Americans and giving a massive tax cut to the wealthy.”

Redrawing maps could be risky for GOP

Redrawing of congressional maps holds risks. During the 2010s, Texas’ GOP-controlled Legislature redrew the congressional map to bolster the party’s majority. But the advantage proved short-lived: in 2018, a backlash to Trump’s presidency helped Democrats flip two seats that Republicans had assumed were safely red.

“There had to be folks that drew these lines and everything that had a very strong opinion of exactly where they ought to be,” said West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice, a Republican. “Now just to say, ‘Okay, we’re going to redraw this, we’re going to redraw that. And by god, if you’re going to redraw, we’re going to redraw.’ I don’t like that.”

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday that he has not yet spoken to any Republicans in his state about redistricting but that it’s up to the Missouri legislature and governor to make the call.

“I’d love to have more Republicans,” Hawley said.

Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, N.Y., contributed to this report.

Kinnard reported from Chapin, S.C., and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP