Redistricting News & Analysis

Podcast Episode 71: Which Nebraska Republicans Might Lose? w/ Aaron Sanderford of Nebraska Examiner

May 15, 2026 · 2:52 PM EDT

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Aaron Sanderford of Nebraska Examiner take a fresh look at the Senate race in the Cornhusker State, where Democrats are rallying behind independent candidate Dan Osborn against Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. Osborn came up short in 2024, but the conditions might be right for an…

Virginia Caps Off Wild Week of Redistricting Ratings Changes

by Jacob Rubashkin May 8, 2026 · 11:35 AM EDT

The Virginia State Supreme Court struck down Democrats’ ambitious redistricting plan in the Old Dominion on Friday. The map, which was designed to elect 10 Democrats and just one Republican, was approved by voters in a statewide referendum last month. 

The decision is an exclamation point on a madcap week…

Tennessee Redistricting: Republicans Seek 9-0 after SCOTUS goes 6-3

by Jacob Rubashkin May 8, 2026 · 1:04 AM EDT

Wasting little time after the Supreme Court defanged what remained of the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee Republicans passed a map designed to elect nine Republican members of Congress this fall. The Volunteer State’s delegation is currently split 8-1 in favor of Republicans, with Democrat Steve Cohen of Memphis as the…

Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Congressional Map

by Jacob Rubashkin April 29, 2026 · 3:20 PM EDT

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, in a decision that could have far-reaching implications for a dozen or more Democratic-held districts across the South and around the country. The immediate effects of the decision on the 2026 midterms, however, are less…

Podcast Episode 70: O-H I-O primaries w/ Henry J. Gomez of NBC News

April 28, 2026 · 4:57 PM EDT

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Henry J. Gomez of NBC News break down all of the upcoming primaries in Ohio. The trio also analyzes whether incumbent Democrats Marcy Kaptur, Greg Landsman and Emilia Sykes or Republicans representatives Max Miller and Mike Turner will be returning to Congress, takes an early…

Virginia House: Four House Races Shift To Democrats

by Jacob Rubashkin April 21, 2026 · 9:53 PM EDT

Updated April 23, 11:51am

Virginia voters approved a new congressional map on Tuesday that will help Democrats flip as many as four GOP-held seats this fall. The referendum passed, 51.5-48.6 percent, roughly half of the margin that Kamala Harris posted against President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Republican…

Podcast Episode 66: The Land of Illinois Primaries w/ Shia Kapos of Politico

February 27, 2026 · 2:05 PM EST

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Shia Kapos of Politico's Illinois Playbook dive deep into the upcoming Illinois primaries including the Democratic race to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin and a handful of crowded and competitive House primaries, where as little as 20 percent of the vote could be enough to effectively…

Podcast Episode 65: Even Primaries are Big in Texas w/ Gabby Birenbaum of Texas Tribune

February 12, 2026 · 1:49 PM EST

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin and Gabby Birenbaum of The Texas Tribune run down the biggest primaries in Texas including the Republican and Democratic Senate primaries and run through the Republican and Democratic House incumbents who might not even get renominated. Also, Jacob can’t stop watching reality TV, Gabby plugs the…

House: Money Isn’t Enough to Save Incumbents in Wave Elections

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 11, 2026 · 10:46 AM EST

Fundraising is a critical part of winning reelection, but sometimes incumbents have political problems that money can’t fix. 

When voter sentiment is against you, outspending your opponent isn’t sufficient to survive an electoral wave. This is important context when analyzing campaign fundraising reports.

While there can be confusion over what…

Report Shorts (January 22, 2026)

January 22, 2026 · 2:22 PM EST

California’s 1st District. The special election to replace the late-GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa will be August 4, the latest possible date that could be set by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in accordance with state law. It’s technically possible that a new member could get elected in the June 2 primary,…