Multiple States Face Redistricting Legal Battles Ahead of 2026 Elections

Redistricting battles are intensifying across several key states ahead of the 2026 elections, with significant legal challenges and political maneuvering underway. In Wisconsin, the Supreme Court is considering new gerrymandering lawsuits, including calls to appoint a three-judge panel and requests for recusal of liberal justices endorsed by Democrats, raising uncertainty about timely resolution before 2026. Texas faces a pending federal court decision on newly approved congressional maps that could shift five seats to Republicans, with Democrats alleging racial gerrymandering and planning appeals up to the Supreme Court. California voters are deciding whether to allow Democratic leaders to redraw the state's congressional map to counter Republican redistricting efforts in Texas. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing Louisiana’s congressional map in a case that could limit the use of race in redistricting under the Voting Rights Act, with potential implications for minority representation and partisan balance nationally. These developments highlight the ongoing and complex struggle over electoral maps that will shape political power in the upcoming midterms and beyond.