Democrats turn to state legislative races to catch up in the redistricting battle

After a series of court rulings gave Republicans a decisive advantage in the national redistricting fight, Democrats’ options for a counterpunch before this year’s midterms are limited.

So they are shifting their attention to battles for control of legislatures in key states this fall to help lay the groundwork for new congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision last month has paved the way for a raft of GOP-controlled states with majority-minority districts represented by Democrats to redraw their district lines, adding to the list of favorable new maps for Republicans that were enacted over the past year at President Donald Trump’s urging. And one of Democrats’ most robust responses was struck down in Virginia last week by the state Supreme Court.

Given that Democrats have full control of fewer state governments than Republicans — and that in several of those states, commissions, not lawmakers, are in charge of drawing maps — the party faces a lack of alternatives and time to launch new redistricting efforts before November, when control of the narrowly divided House is at stake.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/democrats-turn-state-legislative-races-185049578.html