Today was a bad day for Trump in the redistricting war

Tuesday, May 26

President Donald Trump’s campaign of aggressive gerrymanders suffered two major setbacks today, with two seats that Republicans expected to grab in this year’s midterm elections now looking less sure for the GOP.
In a win for Alabama voters, a federal district court blocked the state from enacting its 2023 congressional map in the midterms, which would have left Black Alabamians with just one seat where they form a majority, down from two. But the state has already appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court — so stay tuned.
More on the pro-voting win in Alabama >>>
Meanwhile, South Carolina became the first Republican state to fail at passing a new map since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act last month. The effort collapsed when the state senate abruptly adjourned its special session today without passing a redistricting bill.
Where things stand in South Carolina >>>
But it wasn’t all good news… In a loss for Florida voters, a judge appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), as expected, greenlit the GOP's newly enacted map for use in the 2026 midterms. Pro-voting groups argued there was "staggering" evidence that the map violated a state ban on partisan gerrymandering. Pro-voters quickly appealed the order.
The latest in Florida >>>
And in Tennessee, a federal court denied a motion to block the state’s new gerrymandered map, which dismantled the lone majority-Black district in Memphis. But another challenge to Tennessee’s gerrymander remains.
More on the lawsuit >>>

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Election deniers favored in Texas GOP’s Senate, AG runoffs

Texans are voting today in key statewide and congressional primary runoffs that will have major implications for voting rights and elections both on the state level and nationally.
The tight contest between Sen. John Cornyn (R) and Trump-backed outgoing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) for the GOP’s U.S. Senate nomination will be the most closely watched of the night.
Paxton and one of the Republican candidates for his old AG seat both have denied the outcome of the 2020 presidential race — and Paxton helped lead the legal effort to overturn it.
Stay tuned to Democracy Docket for primary results as they’re announced. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage.
Catch up with what’s at stake in Texas >>>

Maryland may actually redistrict this year, after state senate leader shifts tone

Maryland may finally be on course to redraw its congressional map to gain an extra seat for Democrats in the U.S. House.
State Senate President Bill Ferguson said he is now in favor of redistricting, which he previously opposed, much to the chagrin of Democrats.
What did Ferguson say? >>>

DOJ civil rights chief requests Maryland retain records regarding mail-in ballot error

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon asked Maryland election officials to retain copies of all ballots that will be used in the state’s upcoming primary election.
The request comes after Trump called for the DOJ to investigate a vendor error where some Maryland voters were accidentally sent mail-in ballots from the wrong party. The president insinuated this was actually fraud.
What did Harmeet Dhillon’s letter ask for? >>>

CBC blocks SCORE Act vote on college athlete pay in response to GOP’s southern redistricting wave

Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members are blocking the SCORE Act, a U.S. House bill regarding college athletes’ pay, hoping that collegiate sports associations will speak out against Republicans’ current efforts to eliminate majority-Black districts.
"The [CBC] cannot support legislation benefiting major athletic institutions that continue to remain silent while Black voting rights and Black political power are being systematically dismantled across the South,” the CBC said.
More on the blocking of the SCORE Act >>>

Arizona AG rips Maricopa County election official over handling of non-citizen voting claims

An attorney from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ (D) office had to threaten Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, a known election denier, with legal action in order for him to hand over the names of dozens of voters he claims are non-citizens.
More on the letters reprimanding Heap >>>

Coming up tomorrow

The Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments on the NAACP's appeal of a trial court's ruling that the governor did not violate the state's constitution by calling a special session to conduct mid-decade redistricting.
In Mississippi, Black voters' reply brief is due on the impact of the Callais decision. They are challenging DeSoto County's electoral maps under the Voting Rights Act.
Callais impact briefs are due for parties in a redistricting lawsuit in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Five Black members of the metropolitan council and two voters are challenging the map, which establishes an additional white-majority district on the council.

Here we share noteworthy briefs on all things voting rights and democracy. Have a footnote for us? Send it to news@democracydocket.com.

Construction has begun for an Ultimate Fighting Championship arena on the South Lawn of the White House. But the reaction from most people? It looks like a roller coaster or a Six Flags amusement park is being built there instead.
The CBC sent a letter to more than 250 companies across the country, calling on them to oppose redistricting efforts in Republican-led states that are eliminating majority-Black districts. They called the redistricting “coordinated efforts to silence Black voices at the ballot box.”

In Texas, Paxton has received many endorsements from many people — including Trump — as he faces off against Cornyn to be the GOP’s nominee for the U.S. Senate... But it looks like his estranged wife is not one of them.

Today’s redistricting news was so big that “redistricting” was the No. 1 trending topic on Bluesky this afternoon. Here’s the latest from our tracker.