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GOP rushes to redraw congressional maps

May 1, 2026, 6:35am EDT
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SCOTUS building.
Will Dunham/File Photo/Reuters

Republican leaders are rushing to redraw congressional maps after a US Supreme Court ruling limited the use of race in districting, raising GOP hopes that the new rules could help it avoid defeat in upcoming midterms.

Both US parties have sought to gerrymander states they govern in search of an edge ahead of the November vote, sending lawmakers, state legislators, and cartographers “into extra time,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

Democrats nevertheless hold the upper hand in the polls: The number of US voters expressing worries about the state of the economy has increased steadily for months, and many supporters have also turned against US President Donald Trump over the Iran war, testing the GOP’s unity, Politico said.

A chart showing a 2026 Congressional poll.
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