Midterm redistricting fails GOP

Democrats secured victories in congressional districts that Republicans specifically redrew last year to improve their chances. This shift occurred despite President Trump’s directive for his party to pursue mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms.

In Florida, three Democrats won in the new districts. Kathy Castor, Pia Dandiya, and Jared Moskowitz all took their seats according to Associated Press race calls.

North Carolina’s 1st District also defied Republican expectations. Democratic Rep. Don Davis retained his seat even though state leaders altered the map to make it more favorable for the GOP. Data from The Downballot indicates Trump would have won that specific district by nearly 12 percentage points.

Alabama’s 2nd District saw a similar result. Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures held his position despite the state’s congressional map being redrawn. Republicans updated the map after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act earlier this year. Trump’s margin of victory in that area was even larger than in North Carolina, according to The Downballot.

Texas, the first state to act on Trump’s redistricting push, also saw several new districts go to Democrats. Republicans had relied on a coalition of voters Trump won in 2024, specifically banking on gains among Latino voters in the new configurations. Those voters largely shifted their support to the Democratic candidates this cycle.