How Redistricting Is Reshaping US Political Battles: Explainer

Voters’ approval of a map redrawing Virginia’s congressional district boundaries in Democrats’ favor marked one of the most significant developments in a yearlong nationwide battle that could determine which party controls the US House of Representatives.

Democrats and Republicans have engaged in a tit-for-tat for months as both parties seek an edge in the midterm elections in November. The issue erupted into a political firestorm in 2025 when Republican lawmakers in Texas adopted a new congressional district map with the aim of shifting as many as five of the state’s US House seats toward their party. Texas’ redistricting spurred both ...