Trump's redistricting revenge tour heads down South

Source: Axios · Bias: Center Left

Summary

President Trump's revenge tour didn't just draw blood in Indiana. It put Republican holdouts across the South on notice.Why it matters: Republicans are being squeezed to approve last-minute new maps that give House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) a shot at saving his majority in November.Tennessee Republicans are expected to vote as soon as tomorrow to draw out Rep. Steve Cohen, the state's last House Democrat. "This is insane," Cohen said today on X about the new map.The South Carolina House has started a redraw debate that could threaten Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who warned last week of "never-ending redistricting fights" to come.Mississippi Republicans are pushing to draw out Rep. Bennie Thompson's (D) seat during the state's special session in two weeks. The state already held its 2026 primaries, but the pressure's still on.What they're saying: "The leadership in South Carolina, they saw the results in Indiana," Club for Growth president David McIntosh, whose group's PAC spent $2 million against the Indiana Trump holdouts, told Politico.Between the lines: Louisiana and Alabama didn't need much persuading.Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries last week and will likely target one of its two Democratic seats for a redraw.Alabama says it's waiting on the Supreme Court's help to lift a court order forbidding it from redistricting until after 2030.Zoom in: Even with this momentum, Trump's push for last-minute redraws is meeting resistance.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is refusing to hold a special session to redraw the state's congressional maps, citing voting that's already underway.South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told Trump, who's called him twice, that he's probably not on board with a redraw.In Mississippi, some leaders have been noncommittal ahead of the special session, promising only to act as soon as possible.What's next: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has maintained that Democrats will be able to overcome whatever seat advantage Republicans may create for themselves by racking up wins in battleground districts.But this could constrain his ability to secure a large majority.That could force him to deal with the same headaches Johnson has faced over the last three years.The bottom line: After the GOP dust settles, Democrats are eyeing a wide array of blue and purple states to redistrict ahead of 2028.They're also planning to push nationwide redistricting reform as a potential off-ramp from this race to the bottom.

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Trump's redistricting revenge tour heads down South
Axios

Trump's redistricting revenge tour heads down South

Center Left

President Trump's revenge tour didn't just draw blood in Indiana. It put Republican holdouts across the South on notice.Why it matters: Republicans are being squeezed to approve last-minute new maps that give House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) a shot at saving his majority in November.Tennessee Republicans are expected to vote as soon as tomorrow to draw out Rep. Steve Cohen, the state's last House Democrat. "This is insane," Cohen said today on X about the new map.The South Carolina House has started a redraw debate that could threaten Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who warned last week of "never-ending redistricting fights" to come.Mississippi Republicans are pushing to draw out Rep. Bennie Thompson's (D) seat during the state's special session in two weeks. The state already held its 2026 primaries, but the pressure's still on.What they're saying: "The leadership in South Carolina, they saw the results in Indiana," Club for Growth president David McIntosh, whose group's PAC spent $2 million against the Indiana Trump holdouts, told Politico.Between the lines: Louisiana and Alabama didn't need much persuading.Louisiana suspended its U.S. House primaries last week and will likely target one of its two Democratic seats for a redraw.Alabama says it's waiting on the Supreme Court's help to lift a court order forbidding it from redistricting until after 2030.Zoom in: Even with this momentum, Trump's push for last-minute redraws is meeting resistance.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is refusing to hold a special session to redraw the state's congressional maps, citing voting that's already underway.South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told Trump, who's called him twice, that he's probably not on board with a redraw.In Mississippi, some leaders have been noncommittal ahead of the special session, promising only to act as soon as possible.What's next: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has maintained that Democrats will be able to overcome whatever seat advantage Republicans may create for themselves by racking up wins in battleground districts.But this could constrain his ability to secure a large majority.That could force him to deal with the same headaches Johnson has faced over the last three years.The bottom line: After the GOP dust settles, Democrats are eyeing a wide array of blue and purple states to redistrict ahead of 2028.They're also planning to push nationwide redistricting reform as a potential off-ramp from this race to the bottom.

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