How redistricting is shaping the 2022 U.S. House map
correction
The march to the 2022 midterm elections is on, as states work to complete their new congressional maps following the 2020 Census. As of Feb. 5, 34, of the 50 states have settled on the boundaries for 285 of 435 U.S. House districts. Each state has a different process for drawing maps and state lawmakers or independent commissions will need to approve new maps before primary elections begin in the spring.
Jump to the map
Democrats narrowly control the U.S. House, so both parties are going to great lengths to tip districts in their favor. Republicans have already drawn advantageous lines in Texas, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats control fewer districts overall but have used Illinois and Oregon to make gains so far.
How new congressional districts approved so far voted for president in 2020
Strong Biden
15 or more points
Lean Biden
5 to 15 points
Close
Within 5 points
Lean Trump
5 to 15 points
Strong Trump
15 or more points
Many state legislatures are approving maps that eliminate competition in favor of more solidly Republican or Democratic districts. Approved maps are already facing legal challenges that could delay their use or lead to court-mandated changes. In the last redistricting cycle, legislative deadlocks and legal challenges resulted in many districts eventually being determined by courts.
Maps that have been struck down
| State | Drawn by | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | GOP-controlled legislature | Jan. 14: The state’s Supreme Court ruled that the map “unduly favors the Republican party.” The new lines eliminated a solidly Democratic district along Lake Erie, and increased the number of solidly Republican districts. |
| Alabama | GOP-controlled legislature | Jan. 24: A federal court struck down the state’s congressional map that packed Black voters into one of seven districts in a state where they account for 27 percent of the population. The decision could be appealed to the Supreme Court. |
| North Carolina | GOP-controlled legislature | Feb. 4: The state’s Supreme court struck down a GOP-approved congressional map ruling that Republican lawmakers drew maps that deprived voters of their “substantially equal voting power on the basis of partisan affiliation.” |
Explore the map
The Washington Post is using the number of Trump and Biden voters within old and new district boundaries, according to data collected by Decision Desk HQ, to show how the districts have changed politically. As more states finalize their maps, we’ll add them to this page to give a fuller picture of what to expect in the midterms.
Look up your address to see if district boundaries will shift in your community, or click the districts we’ve suggested and toggle between the old and new lines.
Hover over a district to view details
The map above shows which states have approved maps so far, paired with the most detailed presidential election results available from 2020. The darkest red areas represent the precincts or counties where Donald Trump won many more votes than Joe Biden. In the darkest blue areas, Biden won many more votes. Yellow areas are the most politically divided areas of the country — the presidential vote margin for those was less than five points.
Though Democrats performed well in 2020 at the presidential level, these results are not necessarily predictive for how districts will vote in 2022. There are also districts in the current map that voted for opposing parties for president and U.S. House.
Harry Stevens contributed to this report.
