House Republicans were hit with a minor setback this week in the redistricting war when two states set to redraw maps changed course.
Alabama and South Carolina were primed for new maps, but a court order and move to buck the process by state lawmakers in the Palmetto State have, for now, nixed the act. It comes as both sides of the aisle are in an arms race to redraw their maps to gain an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections.
While the South Carolina legislature opted against redistricting, Republican leaders in Alabama have asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on their new map after a lower court halted the process.
At stake in both states are two new seats in the House that could benefit Republicans as they vie to keep and grow their razor-thin majority.
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But compared to the gains the GOP has made across the country in redistricting, particularly after the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision in April, Republicans aren’t sweating the setback.
“House Republicans are competing from a position of strength, remain on offense in key battleground districts, and continue to benefit from a battleground that is far more favorable than Democrats want to admit,” Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Fox News Digital.
On the broader scoresheet in a battle triggered by President Donald Trump and met in kind by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Republicans have the advantage.
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After the Supreme Court’s decision that effectively tossed out the new map in Virginia that Democrats spent millions to enact, Republicans are now looking at a possible gain of 16 seats compared to Democrats’ six.
That comes from successes in Texas and North Carolina, and new maps in Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama — should the Supreme Court side with Republicans in Alabama.
Democrats, though hit with a major setback in Virginia, gained five favorable seats in California and are eyeing a battle in Utah to gain at least one more.
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Still, Democrats are confident they can gain ground in the fall.
Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement that voters “are ready to reject Trump and Republicans for their broken promises on the economy, and they know it.”
“It’s why they’ve given up on trying to win over voters fair and square, so they’re resorting to rigging the midterms through illegal gerrymanders and voter suppression,” Shelton said. “The American people won’t stand for it, and Democrats are poised to take back the majority in November.”
Meanwhile, in the House, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus launched a gerrymandering working group, co-chaired by Reps. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Ed Case, D-Hawaii, to tackle the issue that has “led to extreme partisan gerrymandering across the country.”
Hurd said in a statement that redistricting should be approached with “transparency, consistency and respect for the rule of law.”
“Congressional representation should reflect the people and communities being served, not the political interests of whoever happens to be in power,” Hurd said.
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