Democrats Ramp Up 2028 Redistricting Push After Supreme Court Ruling Weakens Voting Rights Act

This week’s Supreme Court ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act has removed a key obstacle that previously prevented Democrats from pursuing aggressive gerrymandering in several states ahead of the 2028 elections. The decision has sparked renewed interest among Democratic lawmakers, with more than 20 federal and state officials now considering redistricting efforts that were once deemed too extreme.

Even legislators who had resisted redistricting in their states are now reassessing their positions following the court’s decision. Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford, who secured the Democratic nomination for Illinois’ 7th House District, previously opposed Gov. JB Pritzker’s redistricting attempt last fall. However, Ford now signals a shift in stance, telling Axios in a Thursday interview,

"All things should be considered at this point."

National Democratic Leaders Identify Key Target States

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has publicly named New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Maryland as potential targets for Democratic-led redistricting efforts. The list may expand further, with House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) suggesting California could respond to Southern states’ redistricting moves by 2028.

"We'll see what Southern states do leading into 2028, when California will respond just like we responded to Texas," Aguilar said. "We're not going to back away from a fight."

Aguilar also identified Washington and Oregon as possible battlegrounds, acknowledging the challenges but emphasizing that the Supreme Court’s ruling has significantly altered Democrats’ strategic calculations.

State-by-State Breakdown of Democratic Redistricting Efforts

Maryland

In Maryland, the state House of Delegates advanced a bill in February that would have expanded the state’s congressional delegation from an 8-1 Democratic advantage to a 9-0 map. However, State Senate President Bill Ferguson blocked the measure from a final vote.

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) expressed frustration, stating,

"The vast majority of people in Maryland wanted to move forward," and "the folks that did not hopefully got the message from the Supreme Court Wednesday about the urgency of this."

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) added,

"There is going to be overwhelming sentiment now for Maryland to join Virginia and California."

An anonymous state House delegate suggested Ferguson’s opposition may cost him reelection, noting his primary battle against Bobby LaPin, a Baltimore social media influencer and small-business owner,

"will be close."

Illinois

Rep. La Shawn Ford, running for a safely blue U.S. House seat in November, framed the Supreme Court’s decision as a turning point.

"We can't just sit back and watch Republicans and the courts erode voter rights protection and do nothing,"

"This puts us in a situation where we have to figure out a new way to approach."

A House Democrat from Illinois, speaking on the condition of anonymity, hinted at ongoing internal discussions about revisiting redistricting, though no concrete plans have been finalized.