When Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the new Texas maps into law, the scoreboard in the redistricting battle showed a likely 5-seat gain for the GOP and zilch for Democrats.
From here, things could get worse for Democrats.
Democrats have found hope in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to have California voters decide whether they want to switch out the work of the state’s independent redistricting commission in favor of a more Democratic-friendly map to offset the GOP gains in Texas.
However, Mr. Newsom’s effort faces stiff opposition from a unique coalition that includes President Trump, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Charles Munger Jr.
Republicans, meanwhile, face fewer hurdles in the red states of Indiana, Missouri and Ohio, where they are considering the Trump-inspired mid-decade map changes that could boost the GOP’s chances of defending their thin House majority in the midterm elections next year.
“Republicans have farther to run,” said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University. “There are more Republican states to slice and dice.”
