The Redistricting Coup is Underway

The Crisis

If this administration has made one thing clear, it’s that there’s no limit to how far they’ll go to seize more power.

Over the last few months, Donald Trump and the Republican Party have launched a multi-state campaign to rig congressional maps, erase voters from the census, and weaponize law enforcement against elected officials—all in service of one goal: permanent GOP control of the House.

This is happening right now, in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and anywhere those in power can manipulate the map to silence voters.

Cementing minority rule doesn’t always look like tanks and mobs. Sometimes it looks just like this: illegal censuses, rigged maps,, and corrupted institutions.

How It Started: Texas Republicans Moved to Redraw Maps

Redistricting is supposed to happen once per decade, based on the census. But Donald Trump has been openly demanding that Republican-controlled states redraw their maps mid-decade before 2026 to tilt the balance of power even further.

In Texas, Republicans listened and moved quickly. In August,  Texas House Republicans advanced a new congressional map that would wipe out up to five Democratic-held seats. How? By surgically cracking apart communities of color and jamming Democratic voters into a handful of districts, leaving the rest safely Republican.

It’s a blatant racial and partisan gerrymander. It’s part of a broader playbook to make the House structurally uncompetitive for Democrats ahead of 2026.

And Texas isn’t alone. Republicans in other red states like Georgia, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio are being targeted for or already following the same playbook, frantically trying to redraw maps mid-decade to lock in power before the 2026 elections.

Blue States Can (and Must) Fight Back

Trump’s redistricting coup only works if blue states sit back and do nothing. 

While Trump and MAGA Republicans try to redraw the map to guarantee themselves power, every Democratic-led state—whether it’s a complete trifecta or a divided government—has a role to play in stopping this power grab cold. 

Here’s who we’re talking about:

• 15 Democratic trifecta states—Democrats control the governorship and both chambers of the legislature: California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts.
• 5 Democratic governors in split or GOP-controlled legislatures—They don’t have full control of state government, but they have the bully pulpit and veto pen to lead the fight: Pennsylvania (Josh Shapiro), Wisconsin (Tony Evers), Arizona (Katie Hobbs), Kentucky (Andy Beshear), Michigan (Gretchen Whitmer), and North Carolina (Josh Stein).

Here’s how the asks break down depending on where you live.

Blue Trifectas with Redistricting Power: The First Line of Defense

The most direct way to counter MAGA’s mid-decade map-rigging is with responsive redistricting—redrawing maps in blue states if Republican states go first. Every state has a role to play here. 

California has been leading the way with a counter-push, with Democrats advancing a ballot measure to temporarily override its independent commission in response to GOP gerrymanders nationwide. Across the country, redistricting has become the newest front in the fight for democracy, a reminder that when power’s on the line, we can’t just let the GOP rig the rules.. 

The two other states we are most focused on are Illinois and Maryland. 

We need Governor Wes Moore and Maryland’s state representatives, as well as Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois’ state representatives, to move forward before it's too late. If you live in any of these three states, here’s what you can do:

• Call and email your governor and state legislature, demanding they commit to responsive redistricting now.
  • Contact your Governor: get the call script here AND use our email template here.
  • Contact your State Electeds: get the call script here AND use our email template here.
    • IMPORTANT: The Illinois legislature only has until November 3rd to get this done. That’s why it’s critical to increase public pressure immediately. In addition to contacting your own representatives, contact the Speaker of the House to ensure leadership is aware that this matter cannot wait.

Red States are the Frontlines

If you live in a Republican-controlled state, you're already inside the map-rigging machine. This is where the coup starts. So Texas is the opening salvo, but it didn’t end there.

Here’s what’s happening in red states right now:

• In Texas, Republicans advanced a brutal mid-decade map designed to wipe out five Democratic seats. When Democrats walked out to block the vote, Trump’s allies called in the FBI to track them down.
• Similarly, in Missouri, state Republicans (also under direct pressure from Trump) approved a congressional map that makes Missouri one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the country. In the same vein, they advanced legislation to restrict citizen-led ballot initiatives, aiming to curb voter power and make it harder for Missourians to challenge unfair maps at the ballot box.
• In Indiana, Trump personally called into a closed-door Senate GOP caucus meeting on October 17th, urging lawmakers to move forward with mid-cycle redistricting to secure additional Republican seats. Vice President JD Vance has echoed those calls publicly since the summer, and Governor Mike Braun has indicated that a special session in November is likely to make it happen.
• In Ohio, Republican leaders are attempting to move forward with similar mid-cycle redistricting, following Trump’s directive to “pad the map” before 2026.
• In Florida and Georgia, MAGA operatives are laying the groundwork to revisit existing maps under the guise of “efficiency” or “compliance.”

Trump and his allies are using state-level power to redraw maps in their favor—long before voters ever get a say. And they’re doing it now because they’re scared.

Trump’s grip on the House is weak. He’s afraid of investigations, of resistance, of losing power. So he’s trying to make sure he can’t lose—no matter how the country votes.

What You Can Do in a Red State

Even in deep-red territory, you are not powerless. There are key ways you can fight back from inside the machine:

• Raise Hell Locally: Attend redistricting hearings. Flood your local news with letters to the editor. Call out what’s happening for what it is: an anti-democratic power grab. Name the names. Shine the spotlight. Make them sweat.

• Support the Lawmakers Resisting: If your Democratic legislators are taking bold action—like walking out, as Texas lawmakers did—back them up. They need public support, political cover, and media attention.

• Expose the Process: Demand transparency. MAGA maps are often drawn in secret. Force them into the light. Make sure every voter knows what’s at stake.

• Link Up With Allies in Blue States: The MAGA redistricting coup is national—so is the resistance. Help raise awareness across state lines. Tell your friends in blue states why they must take action where you can’t.

• Push Back on Federal Enforcement Abuse: If federal law enforcement is being weaponized to punish local lawmakers, that’s not just overreach—it’s authoritarianism. Sound the alarm.

This is not a political disagreement. It’s a multi-state scheme to dismantle democratic representation and install a permanent MAGA majority in the House—no matter how America votes.