cupure logo
trumpputinsummitukrainealaskadealtrumpputintrumpsmeetingtrump putin

Redistricting wars spark mad dash of unlikely 2026 congressional candidates

Redistricting wars spark mad dash of unlikely 2026 congressional candidates
California Democrats and Texas Republicans who might otherwise have had no chance of getting elected to Congress are suddenly spotting opportunity in the states' mid-decade redistricting.Why it matters: It's not every day as many as 10 safe, open seats suddenly become available. The redistricting arms race has the potential to transform both states' congressional delegations for years to come.It's not just Texas and California either; Republicans are now looking at redistricting in Ohio, Missouri, Florida and Indiana, while Democrats are doing the same in New York, Maryland, Illinois and Washington.Some candidates have already thrown their hats into the ring — before the districts they're running in are even finalized.Driving the news: In the last few weeks, several Republicans have filed to run in Texas' 32nd district — a safely Democratic seat which, under the new lines, will have gone for President Trump by 18 percentage points.The candidates include x, a businessman and pastor whose previous stint in politics was loaning himself $11 million to run a long-shot GOP presidential campaign in 2024.In the state's 9th district — another blue seat set to become solidly red — Theodis Daniel, whose 13-year-old son got a call out at Trump's joint session speech in March, launched a Republican candidacy this week.What we're hearing: Democrats in California are similarly eyeing their opportunities, Axios has learned.Ammar Campa-Najjar, a San Diego-area Democrat who lost close races to Republicans in 2018 and 2020, said in a statement to Axios he is "seriously considering" another run against Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), whose district is on Democrats' list of targets."I appreciate everyone — from those of you who've voted for me before and ready to do it again, to national leaders who've offered support — for reaching out to encourage me to rematch Issa in the new district," Campa-Najjar said.Zoom in: Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who represents a huge swath of rural Northeastern California, could face a challenge from state Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, a California Democratic source told Axios.The web domain "mikemcguireforcongress.com" was recently registered, but the webpage is currently blank. McGuire did not respond to a request for comment.Zoom out: With Texas Republicans and California Democrats both hitting the gas on their redistricting plans, both states have likely crossed a point of no return.That could have a chain reaction in states across the country — the net effect being a reduction in competitive congressional seats nationwide.Democrats, for their part, have long supported taking redistricting out of the hands of partisan legislators, but they feel they need to put their long-held position aside in order to protect their 2026 prospects.

Comments

Similar News

World news