Redistricting casualty list all but sealed with Alabama ruling
Redistricting casualty list all but sealed with Alabama ruling
▪ Redistricting casualties sealed with Alabama
▪ House defies Trump with votes on Iran, Ukraine
▪ Senate advances immigration enforcement bill
▪ Trump floats Blanche for permanent AG
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The national redistricting battle that has dominated politics for the past year is finally coming to an end — for this cycle — following a Supreme Court ruling upholding a GOP map and likely picking off one more Democrat in Alabama.
The court’s 6-3 ruling along ideological lines Tuesday eliminates one of Alabama’s two majority-Black districts, delivering bad news for Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.). Figures vowed in a statement posted on the social platform X that he would continue with his candidacy undeterred, but the state’s 2nd Congressional District is now heavily conservative-leaning.
That makes Figures likely to be another casualty of the redistricting war, which has already claimed members of both parties and will cost more their seats in November.
CALIFORNIA: The impacts were on display Tuesday night on the other side of the country, as California held its primaries under a new congressional map designed to give Democrats five new seats. Incumbent Republicans have responded in differing ways.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R) chose to retire after California’s new map survived legal challenges, while Rep. David Valadao (R) is trying to hold on despite his district becoming more left-leaning. Rep. Kevin Kiley is also running for reelection, but he has left the Republican Party and is seeking to convince enough voters in a Democratic-leaning district to send him back to Washington as an independent.
Meanwhile, Reps. Ken Calvert (R) and Young Kim (R) appear likely to face off against each other in the same district, after Calvert shifted districts in response to the new map. Both of them may survive the primary, but only one can win in November.
DEEP SOUTH: Along with Figures, nearly a dozen other southern Democrats could lose their seats because of redistricting. Louisiana’s push to redraw its map ultimately led to the Supreme Court ruling greatly restricting the use of the Voting Rights Act, and Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) appears likely to go down swinging in state’s now-heavily conservative 6th District.
In Tennessee, Rep. Steve Cohen (D) chose to retire rather than seek reelection after GOP state lawmakers split his Memphis-based district into three parts.
FLORIDA: Up to five Democrats are trying to hold on in the Sunshine State after a late redistricting push. Rep. Kathy Castor is trying to win after her district after it became slightly red-leaning, while Reps. Lois Frankel, Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz all shifted districts to try to keep their congressional careers alive.
Rep. Darren Soto faces a major uphill battle as his district shifted considerably to the right.
Legal challenges are ongoing to the new maps in Tennessee and Florida, but the most recent rulings in both states allowed the maps to remain in place for now.
TEXAS: A similar situation to California played out in Texas, the state that started the redistricting battle. Rep. Al Green (D) shifted districts after his was made solidly red, forcing him to face fellow Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee in a primary that Green lost.
Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) sought reelection in a new district, losing in a primary to former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas).
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) chose to retire after the new map passed, while Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) is trying to win his battleground district.
OTHER STATES: Democrats Reps. Don Davis (N.C.) and Marcy Kaptur (Ohio) are seeking reelection in districts that shifted to the right but remain competitive.
Democrats did still notch a surprise victory as a court ruling forced the creation of a left-leaning district in Utah, forcing out Rep. Burgess Owens (R).
But more Democrats are on their way out of Congress because of redistricting than Republicans. The big question is whether that’s enough to save Republicans in what’s looking like a tough environment for the president’s party.
▪ The Hill: GOP sees trouble with independents.
▪ The Associated Press: California’s redrawn map gets first test.
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