Timeline: Redistricting Wars
We're now in an era of "tit-for-tat gerrymandering"
One of the big myths of political reporting is that Labor Day marks the traditional start of campaign season during election years. Maybe that was true decades ago, but it hasn’t been in my career. Campaigning is a year-round business.
However, I do remember when redistricting happened only once every 10 years, after the census. Those days are gone. Now it seems like it’s become a year-round thing. Technology is part of the problem. It’s so easy to draw district maps these days, as anyone who has visited the site Dave’s Redistricting can attest.
“What that’s meant is you don’t have to have GIS [Geographic Information Systems] skills anymore,” said Professor Chris Cooper, a redistricting expert at Western Carolina University and director of the school’s Haire Institute for Public Policy. “They’re not hard to draw.”
With the ease of highly partisan gerrymandering comes the near-certainty of lawsuits challenging those maps, which often inevitably means more tweaking of the maps. If I sound worn out, it’s because I am. I’m in North Carolina, where political and court battles over redistricting have been a regular occurrence since 2011, including this summer.
Of course, also occurring this summer was the Texas Legislature’s decision to change its maps mid-decade in an attempt to gain five congressional seats for 2026. The party that’s not in the White House usually makes gains in mid-term elections, so Democrats have a good chance at gaining control of the House if districts remain the same. Who knows if that will be the case in 2026, with California responding by drawing maps to favor Democrats and other states, Republican and Democratic, expected to respond in turn.
Representative democracy? Fuck that.
While we focus on political power in tit-for-tat gerrymanders, Cooper says something else is being lost.
“The relationships and knowledge from representing a district. We know when people are redistricted frequently, they don’t know as much about the people representing them. You’re throwing geographic interests out the window over and over again,” Cooper says.
One more thing: “It's expensive as hell” because of the lawsuits that result.
Here’s a timeline of the race to the redistricting bottom in the last three months:
June 9, 2025
The New York Times reports President Trump’s “political team” is pushing Texas Governor Greg Abbot and Republican state lawmakers to redraw congressional districts to help protect the small Republican majority in Congress.
However, incumbent Republicans worry that new maps could hurt them by putting some of their supporters in other districts.
“We need to think about what those impacts would be on the entire delegation,” Congressman Pete Sessions told the Times after congressional Republicans met to discuss the idea.
Any attempt to approve new maps would require Abbott to call a special session because the Legislature is not scheduled to meet again until 2027.
Republicans have a 25-12 advantage, with one seat vacant that’s expected to be won by a Democrat. The filing deadline for that seat is September 3.
July 7, 2025 - Texas
The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department sends Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton a letter that expresses “serious” concerns that four congressional districts are “unconstitutional ‘coalition districts’ and we urge the State of Texas to rectify these race-based considerations from these districts.”
Coalition districts are when two minority groups make up the majority of a district’s population. They are drawn to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Civil Rights Division contends that recent case law has found that coalition districts now “run afoul of the Voting Rights Act.” Here’s a different interpretation in case you’re interested.
ProPublica and the Texas Tribune report the letter provided political cover for Abbott and legislative leaders:
Despite its adversarial tone, the letter was hardly unwelcome. In fact, it was just the opposite.
It set in motion a chain of events that gave Abbott and Paxton the political cover needed to provide Trump with exactly what he wanted: a mid-decade redrawing of district lines designed to ease that path for his party to maintain control of Congress after the 2026 midterm elections.
July 9, 2025 - Texas
Governor Abbott calls for a special session. His agenda includes 18 items; redistricting is listed 15th. He calls for “legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.”
July 28, 2025 - California
Governor Gavin Newsom meets with Texas Democrats in Sacramento to discuss a potential California response to redistricting in Texas.
August 3, 2025 - Texas
Several dozen Democratic lawmakers head to Illinois so that the Texas House doesn’t have a required quorum to vote on the new congressional district map.
“We are very pleased to welcome you and to stand in solidarity with you, and send a clear message to all Americans, we will not let power go unchecked or let your voices or their voices go unheard,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker as he was surrounded by Texas Democrats.
Texas Republican lawmakers point out the irony of going to Illinois, a state whose congressional map “epically fails the fairness test,” according to RepresentUs.
Democrats have a 14-3 advantage in the state, which Pritzker said is the result of “outcomes.”
“The fact that we are very good in Illinois about delivering for the people of Illinois and people react to that and vote for our candidates, is very different than cheating mid-decade by rewriting the rules because their cult leader Donald Trump tells them to do it.”
That evening, Abbott releases a statement that begins:
Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.
Abbott demands that lawmakers return by 3 p.m. the following day or face removal from office. He says he can do that based on a 2021 Attorney General’s opinion, and appoint members to replace them.
In addition to abandoning their offices, these legislators may also have committed felonies. Many absentee Democrats are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules. Any Democrat who “solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept” such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 36.02. The same could be true for any other person who “offers, confers, or agrees to confer” such funds to fleeing Democrat House members. I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons.
House rules allow for a fine of $500 a day.
August 4, 2025 - New York
Joined by a half-dozen Democrats from Texas, New York Governor Kathy Hochul says she is “exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible.”
Democrats have a 19-7 advantage in New York’s congressional delegation. Trump won about 44% of the state’s vote in November.
August 7, 2025 - Texas
Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows go to court in western Illinois, several hours away from where Democratic lawmakers are staying outside Chicago. Their petition asks the court to enforce civil arrest warrants that Burrows issued three days earlier.
August 7 - Indiana
Vice President JD Vance visits Indiana to push lawmakers and Governor Mike Braun to support redistricting. Lawmakers aren’t ready to support the idea, but Lt. Governor Michah is. He thanks Vance in an X post and adds:
Your bold leadership and unwavering support for President Trump’s mission to expand the conservative majority in Congress is exactly what America needs right now. Redistricting isn’t just politics — it’s about ensuring the voice of We the People is heard loud and clear. Indiana is proud to play a key role in shaping a stronger, freer future for our nation and as Lt Governor I fully support this effort!
Republicans already have seven of Indiana’s nine congressional seats in a state where Kamala Harris won about 40% of the vote.
August 11, 2025 - California
California Governor Gavin Newsom sends a letter to Trump that warns he will be “forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California” unless the president requests Texas and other red states to stop their redistricting efforts.
You are playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make. This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy.
This is not what the Founders envisioned, and California cannot stand idly by as this power grab unfolds. I do not do this lightly, as I believe legislative district maps should be drawn by independent, citizen-led efforts, as we have done in California for the last two decades.
August 13-14, 2025 - Texas
An Illinois judge denies Paxton and Burrows’ request to enforce arrest warrants against Democratic lawmakers in the state. The next day, Democrats announce they will return on two conditions: that the special session ends and California moves forward with new congressional maps.
The Democrats announced they will return so long as Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal
August 14, 2025 - California
Newsom and other Democratic leaders in California formally kick off their effort to redraw the state’s congressional districts to flip five seats to Democrats. Democrats currently have 43 of the state’s 52 congressional seats.
California cannot override the state’s independent redistricting commission without voter approval, so Newsom wants lawmakers to approve a proposition to go before voters on November 4th. He says the proposition will include new congressional district maps and ask “voters for their consent to do mid-term redistricting” through 2030. The mapping process would then revert to the independent redistricting commission.
We're doing this in reaction to a president of the United States that called a sitting governor of the state of Texas and said, find me five seats. We're doing it in reaction to that act. We're doing it mindful of our higher angels and better angels. We're doing it mindful that we want to model better behavior as we've been doing for 15 years in the state of California with our independent redistricting commission. But we cannot unilaterally disarm. We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear. We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across this country, not just in Texas, but in Missouri, where JD Vance went just a week ago in Indiana, in places like Ohio, in places like Florida, we need to stand up, not just California. Other blue states need to stand up.
Also in the clip above, Newsom tells reporters after his speech that the maps will only take effect if changes to districts in other states “go forward”:
We anticipate these maps will completely neuter or neutralize what is happening in Texas. This does not go forward, I want to remind everybody, unless one of these other states go forward. There’s still an exit ramp.
August 15 - Texas
The special session ends, but Abbot immediately calls a second special session. The Democrats’ demands have been met.
Abbott references the absent Democratic lawmakers in a statement, but avoids any mention of redistricting.
Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans. Because of their dereliction of duty, Texas families and communities impacted by the catastrophic Fourth of July flooding have been delayed critical resources for relief and recovery. Numerous other bills to cut property taxes, support human trafficking survivors, eliminate the STAAR test, establish commonsense THC regulations, and many others have all been brought to a halt because Democrats refuse to show up for work. We will not back down from this fight. That's why I am calling them back today to finish the job. I will continue to use all necessary tools to ensure Texas delivers results for Texans.
August 18 - Texas
More than two dozen House Democratic lawmakers return to the Capitol, providing a quorum for the House to gavel back in session.
August 19, 2025 - California
Democratic leaders begin hearings on new congressional maps that legislation says were prepared by two legislative election committees. However, Julie Merz, the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said it provided a map for “consideration.”
KCRA reporter Ashley Zavara tried to find out a basic question: Who drew the map? The DCCC and Zavara report that neither leaders of the election would confirm that people on those committees actually drew the maps. In the above clip, Zavara doggedly presses California Assembly Elections Chair Gail Pellerin for an answer.
“When I go to a restaurant, I don’t need to meet the chef. I just go to enjoy the food,” Pellerin says.
A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas provided clarity the following day.
The development, creation and drawing of the maps were a partnership between the Legislature, Gov. Newsom, and our lawmakers in Congress. Everyone knows that, last week, the Senate and Assembly received a maps package via our Elections Committee portals from the DCCC, and those maps and associated data were posted on those sites, available for everyone to see. As the DCCC said publicly when they submitted the maps, we worked in collaboration with outside groups, which hired California based redistricting experts, who have worked on nonpartisan redistricting for more than 100 cities and counties across the state. The work they submitted became the basis for the redistricting plans that we are discussing this week. We’re proud of the work here, and now we’re sending these to the people of California, who will have the final say. Because unlike Donald Trump, we believe in democracy and empowering our voters.
August 21, 2025 - California
California lawmakers approve Newsom’s proposal, but make a significant change. The original legislation said the new districts “shall become operative only if Texas, Florida, or another state adopts a new congressional district map that takes effect after Aug. 1, 2025 and before January 1, 2031.” Lawmakers struck that language:
If voters approve Proposition 50, California's new congressional map will take effect no matter what unless a court strikes it down.
As expected, the legislation easily passed with a required 2/3 vote in each chamber. That was expected since Democrats have a “super majority” in both houses.
Newsom signed the legislation on Friday, August 22. Here are comparisons between the current map and the new one going before voters:
August 22, 2025
The Texas State Senate approves a new congressional map on an 18-11 party-line vote at 12:30 a.m. State Senator Phil King says the map “meets the critically important goals of legality, of political performance for Republicans and of improved compactness.”
A lawsuit is filed that day by the League of United Latin American Citizens on behalf of 13 citizens that alleges the new map is discriminatory. From the lawsuit:
It eviscerates minorities’ opportunity to elect their candidates of choice in four key areas of the state: Harris County, the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, Central Texas, and South Texas. The result is that non-Anglo Texans now have an opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in far fewer districts than under the map previously enacted in 2021.
August 24, 2025
In an interview with Meet The Press, Vance tells host Kristen Welker that the Trump administration is finding “opportunities” to push back against unfair gerrymanders in Democratic states.
All we’re doing frankly is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair on a national scale. The Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that\, and that’s really all we’re doing.
August 25, 2025 - California
GOP lawmakers file a lawsuit, asking the California Supreme Court to remove Proposition 50 from the ballot. The lawsuit argues it violates amendments to the state constitution that were made in 2010 when voters approved independent redistricting.
One of the plaintiffs, State Sen. Tony Strickland, tells KQED:
It’s authoritarian to predetermine elections in California, and that’s exactly what will happen if Gavin Newsom is successful in November.
President Trump also says his administration plans to sue California.
“BRING IT,” Newom responded on X.
August 26, 2025 - Indiana
Indiana Republican lawmakers discuss redistricting with Vice President JD Vance in Washington, D.C. They appear to be warming to the idea of redistricting. Rep. Jim Seymour tells the Indy Star that “I'm not as opposed to it as I was.”
There were a lot of fascinating points he brought up that I was not aware of. A lot of food for thought. ... (There are) things that we can do to help President Trump after this midterm election so that he can enact a lot of his policies.
August 27, 2025 - California
The state Supreme Court rejects the GOP lawsuit. There was no formal opinion. The court docket simply says, “The petition for writ of mandate and application for stay are denied.”
Redistricting commissions are not a panacea. New York has one but that hasn’t stopped the Dems, with supermajorities in the legislature, from attempting the most egregious gerrymandering.
If you want to end the redistricting insanity, you have to emulate what many other countries do - stop classifying your citizens by their melanin levels, i.e. race. Then, lo and behold, we’re all just Americans.