The Maps Are In: The Redistricting Process And The Midterm Elections

WAMU 88.5 | By Haili Blassingame

Published November 15, 2021 at 8:23 AM EST

On the eve of the negotiated deadline between House Democrats to vote on Build Back Better, MoveOn members came to the Capitol to tell Congress it's time to vote by holding handmade lighted signs at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

It’s that time of the year. States are releasing their new congressional maps based on the latest Census data. Some states like Alabama and North Carolina are already facing lawsuits alleging racial gerrymandering.

The maps drawn during the redistricting process are significant because of what they could reveal about the 2022 midterm elections. Roughly half the country has proposed or finalized new maps, but some think Democrats have already missed their shot.

The map out of Texas that was released in September has Democrats worried.

The Hill’s national correspondent, Reid Wilson, wrote in The Washington Post:

For all the millions spent, for all the attention Democrats focused on nefarious gerrymandering practices, they changed little this year and weren’t able to turn the tables on Republicans. Democrats had the chance to safeguard their control of the House for a decade to come. They squandered it.

We unpack what these maps mean and where they might lead us in 2022.