Redistricting Plan Fails in Texas, California, and Florida
Democrats won most contested seats in states where Republicans tried to redraw maps to hold the House.
By Amina Howard ·
President Donald Trump’s strategy to keep Republican control of the House of Representatives by redrawing congressional districts in key states largely failed in the 2026 midterms. Democrats made gains in Texas, California, and Florida, defeating many Republican candidates in districts that had been modified to favor the GOP. The plan, which relied on favorable map changes to secure up to five additional seats in Texas, did not account for voter backlash against Republican candidates.
Texas served as the launchpad for this effort in 2025. The state’s Republican-led legislature approved a new map designed to shift power in five districts. In the Houston-area District 9, Democrat Leticia Gutiérrez defeated Republican Alex Mealer. In South Texas, Henry Cuellar retained his seat in District 28 against Tano Tijerina, and Vicente González held District 34 against Eric Flores. Johnny García also kept his seat in the San Antonio-area District 35, defeating Carlos De La Cruz. The only Republican win in those five Texas districts came in the Dallas-area District 32, where Jace Yarbrough beat Democrat Dan Barrios.
California voters approved Proposition 50 in November 2025, allowing Democrats to redraw five districts to help their candidates. The party succeeded in taking all five seats. In the rural northern District 1, Mike McGuire beat James Gallagher. In the Sacramento-area District 6, Richard Pan defeated Kevin Kiley, who ran as an independent. In the Central Valley District 22, Randy Villegas unseated Republican David Valadao. Linda Sánchez won the Los Angeles and Orange County District 41 against Mitch Clemmons. Marni von Wilpert took the San Diego and Riverside County District 48 from Jim Desmond, replacing retiring Republican Darrell Issa.
Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis pushed a new map affecting four districts. Democrats won three of the four seats and held a narrow lead in the fourth. In the Kissimmee-area District 9, Darren Soto maintained a slight lead over Dan Green, though the race had not been officially called. Kathy Castor won reelection in the Tampa-area District 14 against Mike Beltran. Pia Dandiya defeated Casey Askar in the Palm Beach County District 22. Jared Moskowitz also secured reelection in the coastal southern District 25, beating Scott Singer.
The results across these three states showed that the redistricting strategy did not secure the expected Republican advantages. Voters in several districts turned out for Democratic candidates despite the changed boundaries. The plan had aimed to lock in House control for the GOP, but the final tallies in Texas, California, and Florida demonstrated a significant shift in the competitive landscape.
