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Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Despite risks, Texas Republicans launch Trump-backed effort to redraw congressional lines
July 22 (Reuters) - Texas Republicans on Monday launched a high-risk, high-reward redrawing of the state's 38 congressional districts, a move championed by President Donald Trump to protect the party's narrow U.S. House majority in next year's midterm elections. Trump has told reporters he expects the effort to yield as many as five additional House Republicans. Republicans hold a narrow 220-212 majority in the House, with three Democratic-held seats vacant after members' deaths. But redistricting experts said the plan could backfire if Republicans try to squeeze too many seats out of what is already considered a significantly skewed map. "Redrawing the Texas map is a dangerous proposition for House Republicans and their incumbents," Suzan DelBene, a Democratic congresswoman from Washington State and chair of the party's congressional campaign arm, told reporters. "It's basic math. For them to try to break up Democratic-held districts, they will have to weaken Republican districts, who already are facing political headwinds." Under the current lines, Republicans control 25 seats, nearly two-thirds of the districts in a state that went for Trump last year by a 56% to 42% margin. States are required to redistrict every 10 years based on the U.S. Census but the Texas map was passed just four years ago by the Republican-dominated legislature. While mid-cycle redistricting occasionally takes place, it is usually prompted by a change in power at the legislature. "This is totally unprecedented for a party to redraw its own map," said Michael Li, a redistricting expert at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice. "I can't think of another situation where the party got what it wanted, did very well and then decided to redraw its own map." Texas Democrats expressed disapproval on the state Senate floor on Monday and criticized Republicans for pursuing redistricting during a special legislative session that will also address funding for flood prevention in the wake of the deadly July 4 flash flooding that killed more than 130. But they have little recourse in a legislature dominated by Republicans. "I think this is a tremendous waste of time," Senator Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat, said. Asked about Democratic criticisms, a spokesman for Governor Greg Abbott previously said the governor was "dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans" during the session, including flood relief and tax cuts. Gerrymandering, the process of manipulating district boundaries to benefit one party, typically includes both "packing" and "cracking." Packing involves cramming as many opposition voters into a district as possible, making it easier to win the surrounding districts; cracking divides opposition voters into multiple districts, diluting their electoral power. When lawmakers push too far, however, they run the risk of creating a so-called "dummymander," in which the margins are thin enough that the other party ends up winning districts in a voting shift. Trump's Republicans already face vulnerabilities ahead of the 2026 elections. Only 41% of Americans approve of the job he is doing, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, and the president's party historically underperforms during midterm elections. Democrats privately concede that Republicans could fairly easily draw a new map to oust two vulnerable Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, whose heavily Latino south Texas districts swung toward Trump in 2024. But gaining five seats is a tougher task. "This has dummymander written all over it," said New York University's Li. "When you gerrymander, you're making a bet that you know what the future of the state will look like. In some states, that's a safe bet; in Texas, it's very much not." Texas is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, adding more than 1,500 people a day from 2023 to 2024, according to the state demographer. Texas lawmakers need only look back a few years to see how a seemingly safe gerrymander can shift. In 2018, during Trump's first term, Democrats flipped two seats and came close to winning a handful of other previously solid Republican seats, as suburban voters swung away from Trump. Following the 2020 census, Texas Republicans responded by drawing a map designed to protect their incumbents. Only three of the state's 38 districts are seen as competitive under the current lines. In calling for the special session, Abbott cited a letter from Trump's Justice Department that alleged four majority-minority districts – all held by Democrats – were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Democrats and civil rights groups have warned that breaking up majority-minority districts will dilute the voting power for people of color. The existing map is already the subject of several lawsuits claiming that it intentionally discriminated against minority voters. Some Democrats have also suggested fighting fire with fire by redistricting in states they control. California Governor Gavin Newsom has floated the idea of sidestepping the state's redistricting commission to draw a new, more Democrat-friendly map.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House GOP campaign arm outraises Democrats in second quarter
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) outraised its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in the second quarter of 2025. The House GOP campaign arm brought in $32.3 million in the second quarter of the year, while the House Democratic campaign arm raised $29.1 million in the same period. In June alone, the NRCC raised $18.1 million and the DCCC brought in $12.7 million. In 2025 so far, the NRCC has raised a total of $69 million, while the DCCC has raised $66 million. However, the DCCC reported having $39.7 million in the bank, while the NRCC has $37.6 million cash-on-hand. The NRCC's second quarter haul is a milestone for the committee, which is normally outraised by its Democratic counterpart. The last time the NRCC outraised the DCCC in the first six months and second quarter of an election cycle was 2021. 'While House Republicans build a historical war chest to grow the majority, House Democrats are broke, divided, and hijacked by socialists,' said Mike Marinella, spokesman at the NRCC. 'Donors are slamming the brakes because they know this party is pathetic, aimless, and has no chance of taking back the majority.' In their own statement, the DCCC noted they have 'the better message, stronger candidates, and necessary resources' to win back the House next year. 'Republicans are running scared because they know they are poised to be rejected by the American people next year,' said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). 'Their support for the Big, Ugly Law is going to cost them the House Majority. It fails to lower costs for everyday Americans and instead rips health care away from millions, threatens funding for rural hospitals, and will lead to higher energy bills – all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest few. It's no surprise that it's the least popular piece of legislation of the 21st century,' The latest numbers from the House committees come as the Republican National Committee (RNC) reported raising $96.4 million during the first six months of the year, while the Democratic National Committee raked in $69.2 million in the same period. The RNC also holds a cash-on-hand advantage of $80.78 million to $15.22 million. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
House GOP campaign arm outraises Democrats in second quarter
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) outraised its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in the second quarter of 2025. The House GOP campaign arm brought in $32.3 million in the second quarter of the year, while the House Democratic campaign arm raised $29.1 million in the same period. In June alone, the NRCC raised $18.1 million and the DCCC brought in $12.7 million. In 2025 so far, the NRCC has raised a total of $69 million, while the DCCC has raised $66 million. However, the DCCC reported having $39.7 million in the bank, while the NRCC has $37.6 million cash-on-hand. The NRCC's second quarter haul is a milestone for the committee, which is normally outraised by its Democratic counterpart. The last time the NRCC outraised the DCCC in the first six months and second quarter of an election cycle was 2021. 'While House Republicans build a historical war chest to grow the majority, House Democrats are broke, divided, and hijacked by socialists,' said Mike Marinella, spokesman at the NRCC. 'Donors are slamming the brakes because they know this party is pathetic, aimless, and has no chance of taking back the majority.' In their own statement, the DCCC noted they have 'the better message, stronger candidates, and necessary resources' to win back the House next year. 'Republicans are running scared because they know they are poised to be rejected by the American people next year,' said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). 'Their support for the Big, Ugly Law is going to cost them the House Majority. It fails to lower costs for everyday Americans and instead rips health care away from millions, threatens funding for rural hospitals, and will lead to higher energy bills – all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest few. It's no surprise that it's the least popular piece of legislation of the 21st century,' The latest numbers from the House committees come as the Republican National Committee (RNC) reported raising $96.4 million during the first six months of the year, while the Democratic National Committee raked in $69.2 million in the same period. The RNC also holds a cash-on-hand advantage of $80.78 million to $15.22 million.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'The American people deserve transparency' about Epstein case: Rep. DelBene
Rep. Suzan DelBene joined "PoliticsNation" to discuss the rescissions package that pulled funding from foreign aid and public media, plus President Trump's demand that the DOJ release grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein. The request comes after The Wall Street Journal's report on Trump's alleged 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. MSNBC has not independently verified the document involved in the Journal's Epstein report. Trump also denied he wrote it in an interview with the
Los Angeles Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
‘Beautiful' or ‘Ugly,' Trump's big bill shapes the battle for House control in 2026 midterms
WASHINGTON — Debate over President Trump's sweeping budget-and-policy package is over on Capitol Hill. Now the argument goes national. From the Central Valley of California to Midwestern battlegrounds and suburban districts of the northeast, the new law already is shaping the 2026 midterm battle for control of the House of Representatives. The outcome will set the tone for Trump's final two years in the Oval Office. Democrats need a net gain of three House seats to break the GOP's chokehold on Washington and reestablish a power center to counter Trump. There's added pressure to flip the House given that midterm Senate contests are concentrated in Republican-leaning states, making it harder for Democrats to reclaim that chamber. As Republicans see it, they've now delivered broad tax cuts, an unprecedented investment in immigration enforcement and new restraints on social safety net programs. Democrats see a law that rolls back health insurance access and raises costs for middle-class Americans while cutting taxes mostly for the rich, curtailing green energy initiatives and restricting some workers' organizing rights. 'It represents the broken promise they made to the American people,' said Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat who chairs the party's House campaign arm. 'We're going to continue to hold Republicans accountable for this vote.' Whether voters see it that way will be determined on a district-by-district level, but the battle will be more intense in some places than others. Among the 435 House districts, only 69 contests were decided by less than 10 percentage points in the 2024 general election. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has so far identified 26 Democratic-held seats it must defend vigorously, along with 35 GOP-held seats it believes could be ripe to flip. Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, has so far listed 18 GOP incumbents as priorities, plus two districts opened by retirements. There are a historically low number of so-called crossover districts: Only 13 Democrats represent districts Trump carried in 2024, while just three Republicans serve districts Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried. Both committees are busy recruiting challengers and open-seat candidates and more retirements could come, so the competitive map will evolve. Still, there are clusters of districts guaranteed to influence the national result. California, despite its clear lean to Democrats statewide, has at least nine House districts expected to be up for grabs: three in the Central Valley and six in southern California. Six are held by Democrats, three by the GOP. Pennsylvania features four districts that have been among the closest national House races for several consecutive cycles. They include a suburban Philadelphia seat represented by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, one of just two House Republicans to vote against Trump's bill and one of the three GOP lawmakers from a district Harris won. Fitzpatrick cited the Medicaid cuts. Vice President JD Vance plans on Wednesday to be in Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan's northwest Pennsylvania district to tout the GOP package. Bresnahan's seat is a top Democratic target. Iowa and Wisconsin, meanwhile, feature four contiguous GOP-held districts in farm-heavy regions where voters could be swayed by fallout from Trump's tariffs. Beyond bumper-sticker labels – Trump's preferred 'Big Beautiful Bill' versus Democrats' 'Big Ugly Bill' retort – the 900-page law is, in fact, an array of policies with varying impact. Democrats hammer Medicaid and food assistance cuts, some timed to take full effect only after the 2026 midterms, along with Republicans' refusal to extend tax credits to some people who obtained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law; 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits. 'Folks will die here in Louisiana and in other parts of the country,' House Minority Leader Jeffries warned last week during a town hall in Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's home state of Louisiana. Jeffries singled out vulnerable Republicans like California Rep. David Valadao, who represents a heavily agricultural Central Valley district where more than half the population is eligible for the joint state-federal insurance program. California allows immigrants with legal status and those who are undocumented to qualify for Medicaid, so not all Medicaid recipients are voters. But the program helps finance the overall health care system, including nursing homes and hospitals. Republicans highlight the law's tightened work requirements for Medicaid enrollees. They argue it's a popular provision that will strengthen the program. 'I voted for this bill because it does preserve the Medicaid program for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled, and elderly,' Valadao said. 'I know how important the program is for my constituents.' The law includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. It makes permanent existing rates and brackets approved during Trump's first term. Republicans and their allies have hammered vulnerable Democrats for 'raising costs' on American households by opposing the bill. GOP campaign aides point to the popularity of individual provisions: boosting the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 (some families at lower income levels would not get the full credit), new deductions on tip and overtime income and auto loans; and a new deduction for older adults earning less than $75,000 a year. 'Everyone will have more take home pay. They'll have more jobs and opportunity,' Johnson said in a Fox News Sunday interview. 'The economy will be doing better and we'll be able to point to that as the obvious result of what we did.' Democrats note that the biggest beneficiaries of Trump's tax code are wealthy Americans and corporations. Pairing that with safety net cuts, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz concluded, 'The cruelty is the point.' Immigration, meanwhile, was Trump's strongest issue in 2024. NRCC aides say that will continue with the new law's investments in immigration enforcement. Democrats believe the Trump administration has overplayed its hand with its push for mass deportation. The president is a titanic variable. Democrats point to 2018, when they notched a 40-seat net gain in House seats to take control away from the GOP. This year, Democrats have enjoyed a double-digit swing in special elections around the country when compared to 2024 presidential results. Similar trends emerged in 2017 after Trump's 2016 victory. Democrats say that reflects voter discontent with Trump once he's actually in charge. Republicans answer that Trump's job approval remains higher at this point than in 2017. But the GOP's effort is further complicated by ongoing realignments: Since Trump's emergence, Democrats have gained affluent white voters -– like those in suburban swing districts -– while Trump has drawn more working-class voters across racial and ethnic groups. But Republicans face a stiffer challenge of replicating Trump's coalition in a midterm election without him on the ballot. Democrats, meanwhile, must corral voters who are not a threat to vote for Republicans but could stay home. Jeffries said he's determined not to let that happen: 'We're going to do everything we can until we end this national nightmare.' Barrow, Cooper and Brook write for the Associated Press. Cooper reported from Phoenix. Brook reported from New Orleans. AP reporters Michael Blood in Los Angeles and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.
