Democrats are pushing ahead with last-ditch efforts to stymie Republican mid-decade redistricting in Missouri and Ohio, although they face unclear paths to blocking the potential gerrymanders amid the nationwide brawl ahead of 2026.
Party leaders in the two Midwestern states are mobilizing campaigns to prevent the Republican-drawn maps from going into effect ahead of next year’s midterms, but both efforts have seen only modest support from Washington for their efforts.
The relative lack of investment, compared with the millions of dollars directed toward Democrats seeking to redraw California’s maps, reflects the uncertainty clouding Democrats’ endeavor to protect a handful of Midwest congressional seats.
“We don’t have national staff, national consultants,” said Richard von Glahn, executive director for the People Not Politicians campaign ballot measure campaign in Missouri.
Democrats in Missouri are gathering signatures in an attempt to delay — and then outright repeal — the state’s new maps through a ballot measure. And in Ohio, they face even longer odds: With almost no viable mechanism to stop the redraw, Democrats are attempting to apply pressure on the state’s Republican-controlled redistricting commission….