“Democrats are inching toward a mid-decade redistricting in Maryland, one of the few blue states with the ability to counter Republicans’ gerrymandering spree,” Punchbowl News reports.

“Maryland’s eight-member congressional delegation is almost entirely Democratic, save for GOP Rep. Andy Harris on the state’s Eastern Shore. The Democratic members plan to meet in the next few weeks to discuss a push for a new map. Several of them have already signaled support for a plan that would target Harris’ seat.”

“Over the next two months, Democratic and Republican donors are expected to funnel as much as $200 million into a California ballot fight that could heavily shape which party wins control of the U.S. House next year,” the New York Times reports.

“It is an enormous amount of cash to raise in such a brief amount of time, but one that befits the stakes of the race.”

The Downballot: “Yes, Republicans may well fall short of their goal of flipping the five Democratic seats they’ve set their sights on, for a whole host of reasons.”

“In a couple of cases, they pulled their punches, making relatively modest adjustments to districts where moderate Democrats have long managed to outperform the national party. There are also signs that Latino voters, who moved sharply in the GOP’s direction last year, are now shifting back…”

“But they haven’t done anything to jeopardize the seats they already hold. Their new map isn’t a dummymander. It’s just a classic gerrymander, taken to the extreme.”

Nate Cohn: “Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and perhaps Florida — all Republican-controlled states — seem likely to join Texas and California in attempting to redraw their congressional maps, according to my New York Times colleagues. By their tally, Republicans could carve out up to seven more House seats where they would be favored to win.”

“It’s too soon to be sure if these states will follow through, let alone whether it would mark the end of this cycle’s redistricting battles. Other states could join; a legal challenge to Utah’s map and a challenge to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act also loom. But suppose that this is where the redistricting war goes next, and where it ends. If so, how much would the new maps tilt the playing field toward Republicans?”

New York Times: “On paper, the changes that have been approved or are under discussion could potentially give Republicans a leg up of six to seven seats in what is expected to be an uphill fight to keep control of the House. But redistricting can deliver unpredictable results, and it is uncertain whether this one will ultimately pan out the way either party hopes.”

“What is clear is that it has created confusion in the already volatile battle for congressional power, with no clear outcome guaranteed for Republicans or Democrats.”

“If we continue to fight fire with fire and keep starting fires and creating new fires, the only thing we’re going to have left are ashes and a little piece of a nation.”

— Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), talking to Missourinet about the redistricting arms race.

“After weeks of internal talks and a pressure campaign by President Donald Trump, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Friday called lawmakers into a special session beginning next week to redraw the state’s congressional maps,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

“Missouri has eight U.S. House seats, two of which are held by Democrats. The task for Republicans is to change the partisan make-up of the Kansas City-focused 5th district, resulting in one additional GOP vote in the House for Trump’s policies.”

“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed off on a new congressional map intended to flip five Democratic seats into Republican hands in next year’s midterm elections,” Axios reports.

Republican legislative leaders say they’ll redraw Utah’s congressional maps, as a judge ordered earlier this week, while maintaining they will challenge the “misguided” ruling that they say “unconstitutionally” ties their hands, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

“President Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon to attack a Utah court ruling that ordered new congressional maps pursuant to an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit,” Axios reports.

“Trump claimed Monday’s order by state judge Dianna Gibson is ‘absolutely’ unconstitutional.”

Said Trump: “How did such a wonderful Republican State like Utah, which I won in every Election, end up with so many Radical Left Judges?”

“A leading Democratic-aligned think tank is urging states to suspend their redistricting commissions, in an escalation of the growing war over state maps,” Politico reports.

“The Center for American Progress, one of the most prominent liberal think tanks in Washington, urged states that have adopted independent redistricting commissions — which are predominantly blue-leaning states — to set them aside.”

“Florida could be the next big target for Republicans to redraw their congressional lines to their advantage, with plans in the works to potentially target three to five House seats currently held by Democrats before the 2026 midterm elections,” CBS News reports.

“President Donald Trump’s escalating pressure campaign to get Indiana Republicans to gerrymander their state appeared to have some success Tuesday,” Politico reports.

“Vice President JD Vance urged more than 55 Indiana Republicans to push forward with redistricting during a long-planned meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, according to three people familiar with the matter and, like others in this article, was given anonymity to discuss a politically sensitive meeting.”

CNN: “The meeting with Indiana lawmakers comes amid a White House pressure campaign for Republican-dominated states to redraw Congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. President Donald Trump hopes to stop Democrats from winning back the House – where Republicans have a very narrow majority.”

“California Republicans are again asking the state Supreme Court to block California from redrawing its congressional boundaries, charging chief proponent Gov. Gavin Newsom and his legislative allies with violating the state Constitution, the same day the White House said it would also sue California,” the Sacramento Bee reports.

A new Change Research poll finds 52 percent of “registered voters in Indiana — which Trump won by 19 points last year — said they are against Republicans revising their maps, with 43 percent ‘strongly’ opposing the effort.”

“That opposition rises to 60 percent after voters are informed of arguments for and against redistricting.”

“California’s two biggest Republican names have both returned from retirement to fight Proposition 50, the mid-decade partisan gerrymander being promoted by top Democrats. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is raising money for a Stop Sacramento’s Power Grab committee, while former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has backed donor Charles Munger Jr.’s Protect Voters First,” Politico reports.

“But the two committees are not coordinating their efforts… That distance reflects a core divide among the Republicans jumping into the fray against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Prop 50 —  one faction that hopes to manage President Donald Trump’s involvement, one that wants to keep him far away.”

“The Utah Legislature will need to rapidly redraw the state’s congressional boundaries after a judge ruled Monday that the Republican-controlled body circumvented safeguards put in place by voters to ensure districts aren’t drawn to favor any party,” the AP reports.