Republicans are moving pieces on the chess board like never before.
Trump’s latest strategic signal has Democrats scrambling behind closed doors.
And Donald Trump just gave the green light for one power move that will have Democrats in full panic mode.
The redistricting wars are heating up with Trump’s blessing
President Donald Trump recently teased that “three or four or five” states could redraw their congressional maps, signaling potential White House support for aggressive redistricting efforts.¹
The comment represents a clear indication that the administration is ready to back Republican redistricting moves that could cement GOP control of the House for years to come.
During the previous redistricting process, Republicans failed to maximize their potential gains in several states.
Now GOP-controlled state governments are examining ways to strengthen their congressional delegations while maintaining control at both the state and federal levels.
And Trump’s blessing gives them the political cover they need to move forward.
Missouri Republicans are already moving to crush Democrat Emanuel Cleaver
Missouri presents perhaps the easiest opportunity for Republicans to flip a seat from blue to red.
Sources familiar with the redistricting discussions indicate that Republican lawmakers in Jefferson City are exploring a new congressional map that would deliver seven of the state’s eight districts to the GOP.²
Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver represents a Kansas City-based district that doesn’t have Voting Rights Act protections, making it a potential target.
Republicans could potentially end Cleaver’s tenure by dividing Kansas City voters across multiple districts with different political compositions.
Look, this isn’t rocket science – it’s Politics 101. You split up a city, scatter the voters, and suddenly that safe Democrat seat isn’t so safe anymore.
Word from Jefferson City is that Republicans are serious about making this happen, and they’re getting encouraging signals from Washington, D.C.
Back in 2022, Missouri Republicans played it safe – maybe too safe. They drew a map that gave them six seats while leaving two for Democrats. Conservative grassroots activists weren’t thrilled with that approach, and now they’re pushing for a more aggressive strategy.
This time around, there’s no such hesitation.
Florida’s Ron DeSantis could target five vulnerable Democrats
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already proven he’s willing to play hardball when it comes to redistricting.
His decision to eliminate former Democratic Representative Al Lawson in 2022 was just upheld by the Florida Supreme Court, giving him a clear legal path forward.³
Now DeSantis is eyeing even bigger targets in South Florida, where the political landscape has shifted dramatically toward Republicans since 2020.
Democratic Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz, and Lois Frankel could all find themselves in the danger zone if DeSantis decides to squeeze more Republican seats out of the Sunshine State.
Other potential targets mentioned include Representative Kathy Castor who represents the Tampa region and Darren Soto who serves the Orlando area.
Currently, Republicans control twenty of Florida’s twenty-eight congressional districts, but party strategists believe additional opportunities exist.
The changing political dynamics in South Florida since 2020 could provide justification for map adjustments that favor Republican candidates.
New Hampshire could flip with Kelly Ayotte’s approval
The New Hampshire situation presents an interesting case study in how gubernatorial politics can impact redistricting strategy.
Former Republican Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a map passed by GOP majorities in the state legislature that would have made Democratic Representative Chris Pappas’ district more winnable for Republicans.⁴
Sununu’s successor, Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte, expressed skepticism about mid-decade redistricting in late 2024, but political calculations could shift.
The fact that Pappas is leaving the House removes one potential complication – there’s no popular incumbent for Republicans to worry about defeating.
If Ayotte gets on board with redistricting, there are plenty of Republicans in the state legislature who would love to push their preferred map through.
Kansas and Kentucky present tougher but possible targets
Beyond the easy pickings, Republicans are eyeing several states where redistricting would be more challenging but not impossible.
Kansas offers an interesting opportunity to complicate life for Democratic Representative Sharice Davids by splitting up Kansas City.
Here’s the catch with Kansas – sure, Republicans have enough votes to tell Governor Laura Kelly where to stick her veto. But their legislature doesn’t meet again until 2026, and Kelly sure isn’t going to call them into special session just to hand Republicans a gift.⁵
Kentucky’s a tougher nut to crack. Republicans could carve up Louisville if they wanted to mess with Democratic representation, but the Kentucky Supreme Court might have something to say about that.
However, the Kentucky Supreme Court could side with Democrats on any legal challenge, making this a riskier proposition.
The Democrat meltdown is already beginning
Democrats are quietly panicking about the possibility of mid-decade redistricting in multiple states simultaneously.
They know they can’t compete with Republican mapmakers in red states, especially with Trump providing political cover from Washington, D.C.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Democrats, who are still reeling from their crushing defeats in November and struggling to find a coherent message for the future.
And here’s where it gets really painful for Democrats. They’re already licking their wounds from November, trying to figure out what went wrong. The last thing they need is to watch more House seats slip away because some Republican state legislator decided to get creative with a computer and a map.
Smart Republicans know this isn’t just about 2026 – it’s about the rest of the decade. Control the maps, control the power. Simple as that.
Trump’s given them the green light, they’ve got the votes in key states, and the opportunity is sitting right there. What are they supposed to do, ignore it?
Democrats spent years perfecting this game in blue states. Now they get to sit back and watch the masters at work.
¹ Politico Staff, “Where could the House GOP redistrict next?” Politico, July 22, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
