Redistricting in each state: How it works, what it looks like
What redistricting looks like in every state
Originally, it looked like Democrats might benefit from redistricting after the 2020 census -- with lawmakers redrawing maps in large states like Illinois and New York to squeeze out Republicans while the GOP in Florida did not originally do the same (until Gov. Ron DeSantis intervened). But that is no longer the case: Per FiveThirtyEight’s analysis, the 2022 House map features 208 Republican-leaning congressional districts compared with 187 Democratic-leaning seats (with 40 more as competitive). This is why redistricting matters: The decennial district redrawing process required by shifts in population, as states gain or lose seats in the House, can be exploited by both parties to create gerrymanders -- or bias to inherently favor a voting group or party.
Gerrymandering explainer
Gerrymandering is when redistricting goes wrong -- when the new map is biased toward one party or racial group. There are two main ways to gerrymander. “Cracking” means spreading voters of a certain party or race out over several different districts, so they aren’t a majority in any of them. “Packing” means cramming them all into one district, so they win that district but no others.
Extreme gerrymanders: Florida, more
Heavily skewed gerrymanders can make a state's congressional map automatically favor one party over the other by narrowing the number of seats where the minority party is competitive. In the most recent redrawing cycle, Florida and Illinois, for instance, have enacted such maps where Democrats and Republicans, respectively, are on their back feet.
One result of maps being redone is that it can force incumbent-on-incumbent primaries in which one is ensured to lose reelection. New York Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney were drawn into the same Manhattan district this year -- pitting two senior lawmakers against each other in a race Maloney ultimately lost.
Reformers have tried to end gerrymandering in a couple ways. First, several states have passed ballot measures to take redistricting power away from politicians and invest it in independent or bipartisan commissions. Second, activists can sue to get gerrymandered maps thrown out in court. This tactic was successful this cycle in states such as North Carolina, New York and Ohio.