Trump, DeSantis advocate for redistricting ahead of midterms
Why it matters: The push to add Republican House seats is sparking a chain reaction as the parties fight tooth and nail over the majority.
The big picture: Republicans are hoping to pick off more than a half-dozen Democratic-held seats by redrawing congressional maps ahead of 2026.
Zoom in: In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that it "would be appropriate to do a redistricting in the mid-decade" and that his administration was "working through what that would look like."
Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court upheld a congressional map DeSantis spearheaded that helped Republicans flip the U.S. House in 2022, POLITICO reported.
The other side: "This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to rig the system and silence voters before the 2026 election," Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement.
Redistricting for partisan advantage is nothing new, but it's usually done after the census every ten years. The next one's scheduled for 2030.
In Texas, Trump has encouraged Republicans to embark on a redistricting project that he's said could net the party as many as five seats.
In Ohio, which is required by law to redraw its House map, party strategists believe they can gain two or three seats.
In Missouri, Republicans believe they can pick up another seat.
The intrigue: Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas Republicans were at first hesitant to take up redistricting, the Texas Tribune reported. After Trump's call to Abbott, it appeared on the special session agenda.
Democrats, led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, have vowed to punch back by drawing roughly as many new Democratic seats.
Between the lines: The White House has no bigger priority in the midterms than keeping the House.
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