GOP’s Gerrymandering Efforts In Several Red States Failed Miserably

Republicans failed to gain many seats during Tuesday’s elections after plotting major gerrymandering efforts in several states.

President Donald Trump-backed Republican redistricting efforts were intended to win the party as many as a dozen seats in the House, but they only gained two seats, according to Politico. They lost every seat in Florida, Texas, Tennessee and other districts where they hoped to pick up seats.

The new map in Texas gerrymandered five seats to help Republicans. Democrats won four of those seats, while Republicans picked up the seat in Texas’ 32nd district, currently represented by Democratic Texas Rep. Julie Johnson. Republican Texas Rep.-elect Jace Yarbrough defeated Democratic Texas congressional candidate Dan Barrios by a 51.5% to 48.5% margin.

Democratic Tennessee congressional nominee Victoria Broderick declared victory in Tennessee’s fourth district, where she led by a narrow margin. Tennessee eliminated its only district held by Democrats by splitting Memphis along new congressional lines and erasing Democrats’ advantage in the 9th district.

North Carolina redrew its maps to oust Democratic North Carolina Rep. Don Davis, who was four points ahead of his Republican opponent as of Thursday. The party is on track to lose six other seats, including National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson’s district. Democrats came close to winning all 14 seats in North Carolina.

Republican North Carolina Senate nominee Michael Whatley lost to Democratic North Carolina Sen.-elect Roy Cooper by a nearly 20-point margin, 58% to 39%.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a map in April that redrew the state’s Ninth, 14th, 22nd and 25th districts to give Republicans a clear advantage in each of them. Despite the redistricting efforts, Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Democratic Florida Rep.-elect Pia Dandiya and Democratic Florida Rep. Kathy Castor all won their elections, while Democratic Florida Rep. Darren Soto was leading in a heavily-Republican district as of Thursday.

Ohio’s new congressional map was structured to favor 12 Republican seats and three Democratic seats. Democrats flipped three Republican-held districts, meaning Ohio Republicans did not make any gains. Democratic Ohio Gov.-elect Amy Acton and Democratic Ohio Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown also defeated their Republican opponents.

Affordability and corruption were top issues in the 2026 election cycle, which helped Democrats score major victories. Democrats reclaimed majorities in the House and Senate.