You ever look at a map of a congressional district and wonder if the person drawing it was having a stroke? Or maybe they just really like the shape of a squashed salamander. Most of us just want to vote and feel like it actually counts for something, but in a handful of places, that’s a tall order. We’re talking about states with the worst gerrymandering, where the lines are basically a game of "how do we keep our jobs forever" played by politicians with expensive software.
Honestly, the 2024 and 2025 election cycles have been a wild ride for redistricting. Just when you think a map is settled, a court tosses it out. Then another court brings it back. It’s exhausting.
North Carolina: The Surgical Precision of the Snaking Line
If there were a hall of fame for this stuff, North Carolina would have its own wing. It’s arguably the heavyweight champion of states with the worst gerrymandering. The state is almost perfectly split between Republicans and Democrats in terms of raw population, yet the maps often look like they belong in a completely different reality.
Back in the 2022 midterms, a court-ordered map resulted in a 7-7 split between the parties. Fair, right? Well, the North Carolina Supreme Court flipped its political majority shortly after, and they basically said, "Actually, we don't think partisan gerrymandering is something we should even be looking at."
The result? New maps for the 2024 and 2026 cycles that are designed to turn that 7-7 tie into something more like 10-4 or even 11-3.
Advocacy groups like Common Cause have been screaming from the rooftops about this. They argue the maps use "surgical precision" to dilute the power of Black voters and urban residents. If you live in a place like the Research Triangle or Charlotte, you've probably noticed your district winding around corners just to avoid certain neighborhoods.
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Texas: Big State, Bigger Manipulation
Texas is another big one. With the 2020 Census, Texas gained two new seats because so many people are moving there. But instead of letting the new maps reflect the state’s massive growth in Hispanic and Black populations, the state legislature doubled down on protecting incumbents.
In late 2025, a federal court actually tried to stop the new Texas maps, calling them a "blatant" violation of the Voting Rights Act. The judges weren't mincing words; they basically said the state was purposefully dismantling majority-minority districts to keep the GOP in control.
But then, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in.
In December 2025, the high court ruled that Texas could keep using its new, GOP-friendly map while the legal battle drags on. Justice Samuel Alito’s logic was basically that partisan advantage is "pure and simple" and—more importantly—allowed under federal law. It’s a huge win for the status quo and a gut punch for anyone hoping for a more representative map in the 2026 midterms.
Ohio: The Map That Just Won't Die
Ohio is kind of hilarious in a sad way. The state supreme court kept striking down their maps—seven times in a row! The judges were basically telling the Redistricting Commission, "No, try again. This is still cheating."
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Eventually, the clock ran out, and they just used the "unconstitutional" maps anyway because an election was coming up. Talk about a loophole.
Things finally got so heated that Ohioans pushed for a ballot initiative—Issue 1—to take the power away from politicians and give it to a citizens' commission. But as of late 2025, the Ohio Redistricting Commission (still run by politicians) pushed through a "negotiated" map. It’s not as extreme as the 13-2 split some were pushing for, but it still heavily favors one side in a state that’s more like 54/46 in the real world.
Wisconsin: A Glimmer of Change?
For a decade, Wisconsin was the poster child for "cracking and packing." The 2011 maps were so effective that even when Democrats won the majority of the statewide vote, they barely made a dent in the legislature.
But things changed in 2024.
After a liberal-leaning justice joined the state supreme court, they tossed the old maps. The 2024 elections were held under new lines, and the results were immediate. Democrats flipped 14 seats in the legislature. It was proof that when the maps are even slightly more fair, the results actually look like what the people wanted.
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However, don't think the fight is over. In mid-2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a request to redraw the congressional districts, meaning the 6-2 Republican advantage in the U.S. House will likely stay put through 2026.
Why This Matters for 2026 and Beyond
Gerrymandering isn't just about "my team vs your team." It’s about the fact that when a seat is "safe," the politician holding it doesn't have to listen to you. They only care about a primary challenge from the fringes of their own party. That’s how we get the gridlock we see in D.C.
How to actually do something about it:
- Support Independent Commissions: States like Michigan and Arizona use non-partisan groups to draw lines. They aren't perfect, but they’re way better than letting politicians choose their own voters.
- Watch Your Local Ballot: Keep an eye out for initiatives that move redistricting power away from the legislature. This is happening right now in places like Ohio and Utah.
- Check Your District: Websites like the Princeton Gerrymandering Project give "grades" to state maps. See how yours stacks up before you head to the polls.
The maps for the 2026 midterms are mostly locked in now, thanks to recent court rulings in Texas and North Carolina. While some states have found a path toward fairness, the list of states with the worst gerrymandering remains a stark reminder that in many parts of the country, the lines on the map matter more than the mark on your ballot.
To stay informed, your best bet is to track the "Redistricting Litigation Roundup" from the Brennan Center for Justice. They track every single court case in real-time, which is basically the only way to keep up with this mess.