Last year, Republicans looked to gain an advantage in the 2026 midterms with an unprecedented multi-state, mid-decade redistricting effort, starting in Texas. Democrats responded by redrawing the congressional lines in deep-blue California.
Ultimately, a slate of state legislatures redrew their district boundaries, with Republicans perceived as having taken a slight advantage in the nationwide effort.
Here’s the state of midterm races in the districts that were redrawn.
Texas
Republican-led Texas has several races that have been affected by last year’s redistricting push.
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was drawn out of the state’s Ninth Congressional District and into the 18th Congressional District. He mounted an unsuccessful bid for the nomination, losing the Democratic Party runoff in May.
In the open race for the Ninth Congressional District, military mom Leticia Gutierrez, a Democrat, faces Army veteran Alex Mealer, a Republican.
In the latest poll of the race, Mealer leads by just one point, while polls conducted in early October found him leading by six points.
The seat was redrawn to shore up Republican support, and Cook Political Report now rates the former heavily Democratic district as likely Republican.
In the 28th Congressional District, redrawn to favor Republicans, incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) is up against Republican candidate Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina.
Cuellar, one of the most centrist Democrats in the House, has long been courted—and targeted—by the GOP.
In a Texas Southern University poll, Cuellar leads Tijerina by 11 percent.
Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson was drawn out of Texas’s 32nd Congressional District and lost her party’s primary in the 33rd Congressional District.
In the open race for the 32nd district, Air Force veteran and attorney Jace Yarbrough, a Republican, faces Richardson City Councilmember Dan Barrios, a Democrat.
Yarbrough is seen as overwhelmingly favored in the race, which is now rated solid Republican by Cook Political Report.
In the race for the 34th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) squares off against former Texas Army National Guard Infantry Captain and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Flores, a Republican.
Though the seat was redrawn to favor Republicans, Gonzalez leads by 7 percent in the only poll conducted since August. Cook Political Report rates the election as leaning Democratic.
In the 35th Congressional District, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) was drawn out of district and is instead running in the 37th Congressional District, where he’s favored to safely win reelection to Congress.
In the new 35th district, Sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia, a Democrat, faces Air Force veteran Carlos De La Cruz, a Republican.
Garcia led by two points in polls conducted in October, with De La Cruz leading the latest poll by one point in the toss-up race.
California
California was the next state to redraw its congressional borders after Texas, with its Democrat-led Legislature targeting seats held by Republicans.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom billed this move as a response to Texas.
In the First Congressional District, incumbent Rep. James Gallagher (R-Calif.) faces Democratic state Sen. Mike McGuire.
McGuire led by three points in a poll conducted in February, and the Cook Political Report rates the race as solidly Democratic.
In the Third Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Ami Bera competes against Republican businessman Robb Tucker.
Bera is favored to win the newly drawn district, which was shifted 14 points toward Democrats by the redistricting. Cook Political Report rates the seat as solidly Democratic.
In the 22nd Congressional District, incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) is up against educator Randy Villegas, a Democrat.
The seat was boosted for Democrats in 2025, but Valadao has worked to distance himself from Trump in the deeply swing-prone district. The race is currently rated as a toss up by Cook Political Report.
In the now solidly Democratic 41st Congressional District, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) is up against Republican small business owner Mitch Clemmons.
With Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) not running for reelection in the 48th Congressional District, it’s an open race between San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Navy veteran Jim Desmond, a Republican.
Florida
Under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republicans in the Sunshine State have sought to expand—and protect—their House majority by overhauling nearly every district in the state.
In the seventh and 13th congressional districts, Republican seats currently held by Reps. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) respectively received a boost to ensure they remain in the GOP’s hands.
However, Luna’s seat is currently rated as lean Republican by Cook Political Report, indicating that the race for the west Florida seat could still be close.
Other seats currently held by Democrats were also targeted.
In Florida’s Ninth Congressional District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Darren Soto squares off against Navy veteran Dan Green, a Republican. Cook Political Report projects that Soto is likely to lose the seat.
Over in Florida’s 14th Congressional District, longtime incumbent Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor faces former Florida state Rep. Mike Beltran, a Republican. Castor has been in Congress since 2007. The race is rated a toss up by Cook Political Report.
In Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) is competing against business executive Deborah Adeimy, a Republican.
Meanwhile, in Florida’s 25th Congressional District, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) is facing Scott Singer, the former mayor of Boca Raton.
Moskowitz is a moderate Democrat who’s emphasized his strong support for Israel even as other Democrats support the Palestinians.
North Carolina
In North Carolina’s First Congressional District, Republicans selected retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout to run against incumbent Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.).
Davis won a second term in 2024 by less than 2 points, becoming one of 13 House Democrats to win elections in districts won by Trump.
His district was altered to favor Republicans, although analysts still consider the seat a pure toss-up.
Tennessee
The Volunteer State redrew its congressional lines, aiming to eliminate the only Democratic seat, located in the Ninth Congressional District, after the Supreme Court decision to strike down a black-majority district in Louisiana in which the court ruled that race cannot be a primary factor in drawing congressional districts.
Due to the redrawing of the Ninth Congressional District, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who has represented the district since 2007, announced he would not run for reelection.
Running for the seat is state Sen. Brent Taylor, a Republican, and state Rep. Justin Pearson, a Democrat.
The Cook Political Report rates the race as “solid Republican”
Louisiana
Following the Supreme Court ruling striking down The Pelican State’s 2024 congressional map—which created a second majority-black congressional district in the Sixth Congressional District—the Republican-led Legislature redrew the state congressional map.
Now, the Sixth Congressional District is rated as safely Republican.
Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) decided not to run for reelection following the Supreme Court decision.
Six Republicans are facing off in the district’s Nov. 3 open primary to replace him. A candidate needs at least 50 percent of the vote to avoid going to a subsequent run-off between the top two vote-getters.
Alabama
The incumbent in Alabama’s Second Congressional is Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.).
He faces a challenge from Republican Rhett Marques after the state Legislature redrew its congressional map in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Voting Rights Act.
Figures’s southern Alabama district had been drawn earlier to include more black voters, leading to his 2024 victory by around 9 percent.
Though the district is less favorable to Democrats this year, Cook Political Report gives the seat only a lean Republican rating. In the latest poll conducted of the race, it was tied.
Ohio
The Buckeye State redrew its congressional map but not in a partisan manner.
Rather, it was due to its 2022 map failing to get bipartisan support in the state Legislature in accordance with the state Constitution.
Therefore, a mid-decade redrawing of the congressional map was required, netting Republicans two seats.
In the First Congressional District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman faces Air Force veteran Eric Conroy, a Republican.
However, that race is rated by Cook Political Report as likely Democratic, indicating that the redrawn districts may not be enough to flip the seat.
Over in the Ninth Congressional District, longtime incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) squares off against former Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin, a Republican, in a rematch from 2024. Kaptur has been in Congress since 1983.
The race is considered a pure toss-up by Cook Political Report.
Utah
Democrats are expected to pick up a seat in deep-red Utah after a state court in 2025 ruled that the previous map unduly favored Republicans.
The new First Congressional District is based in Salt Lake City. This year, Democrat Ben McAdams will face Republican Riley Owen for the seat.
Cook Political Report rates the district as safely Democratic.
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