Where Democrats could use their landslide victories to redistrict

Democrats created new power trifectas across the country thanks to the party’s blue wave, sweeping control of state governments and enabling them to redraw more congressional maps in their favor before the 2028 elections, should they choose to do so. Democrats added at least five states where they will control both legislative chambers and the […]

Democrats added at least five states where they will control both legislative chambers and the governor’s office: Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who Democrats will likely promote to speaker of the House under their new majority in January, did not rule out pressuring Democratic governors and legislatures to redraw districts next year in Democrats’ favor.

“They messed around, and now they’re going to find out,” Jeffries told reporters of further countering Republicans.

By almost every account, the newly drawn House seats meant to boost Republicans in places like Texas, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina backfired. Republicans won just two of 15 across the country, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ. Meanwhile, Democrats in California won all five of the state’s redrawn districts, an effort that was led by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), a possible 2028 presidential candidate.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who is poised to become speaker of the House, is joined by Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairwoman, and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), the House minority whip, right, at a news conference in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

For some governors, the move may be too politically tempting to pass up.

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), another potential White House contender, surged to reelection in his battleground state by 22 points. But as he laid out an ambitious policy agenda for Pennsylvania Democrats to tackle now that they held a trifecta, redistricting was not among the items that included more funding for mass transportation, raising the minimum wage, addressing housing shortages, and protecting abortion rights.

In Maryland, where Democrats already held a trifecta, voters approved a ballot measure that paves the way for state lawmakers next year to gerrymander its only Republican member of Congress, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), out of a job. It was a pillar of Gov. Wes Moore’s (D-MD) reelection campaign as he, too, potentially gears up for a presidential run.

Wisconsin Democrats have failed on multiple occasions to petition the Wisconsin Supreme Court to grant a redraw of the maps, arguing that the current map unfairly favors Republicans. The court is again actively reviewing two cases that could give Democrats a chance at a new map, but it’s unclear if they would do that after Democrats flipped GOP-leaning seats Tuesday evening.

But some Democrats sought to preemptively dissuade their party from using a wave election to further stack the deck in a partisan fashion. Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) poured cold water on the Garden State partaking, despite previously floating the endeavor.

GOP REDISTRICTING STRATEGY CRUMBLES AS BLUE WAVE SWEEPS ACROSS THE MAP

“Now that these rigged maps have spectacularly backfired, can we all get on board with banning partisan gerrymandering now?” Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) wrote on social media.

On the other side of the aisle, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) ruled out a special legislative session for Republicans to redraw its congressional maps after former Atlanta Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson to succeed Kemp.