The Census Bureau released its data on the reapportionment of seats in the US House of Representatives on Monday, with Republican strongholds like Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Montana all gaining ground.
While the move may be a validation for historically red states’ policies, however, it also could signal worry about a growing influx of blue-state refugees who will bring the same radical policies to their new homes that forced them to flee the old ones.
Nonetheless, the Republican State Leadership Committee was optimistic, touting the investments it had seen come to fruition during the 2020 election as another auspicious omen of the 2022 midterm, in which Republicans seem poised to retake Congress.
“Today’s new census data makes clear that the American people are fed up with the crippling tax increases and reckless spending that we are seeing from the socialists in Democrat-controlled states like New York and California, and are embracing conservative states that are implementing policies to create jobs, keep families safe, and give children the opportunity to succeed in the classroom,” said RSLC President Dee Duncan in a statement.
“It also further validates the RSLC’s 2020 strategy to focus on holding its majorities in places like Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, saving them from Democrat gerrymandering,” Duncan added. “Today’s news is a fantastic development for the future of our party from both a political and policy perspective, but we know that the fight against liberal gerrymandering is just beginning.”
Leftist groups used the courts to try to forcibly flip seats in their favor following the last round of redistricting, in the aftermath of the 2010 census.
In many cases, they were successful in gaining congressional seats after forcing states like North Carolina to redraw their maps.
That, along with the population boom coming from deep-blue states, could lead to dramatic reversals in some areas where Republicans have long taken political dominance for granted.
The most notable example from the 2020 election was Georgia, where activist Stacey Abrams, backed by dark money from billionaire oligarchs and a lawsuit that loosened voting standards, was able to deliver Democrats the victory in the presidential race and two Senate races.
Georgia has long been identified as a target by pro-gerrymandering groups like the Eric Holder-led National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which has identified roughly a dozen other states it similarly hopes to flip.
Among the top prizes would be Texas, where growth of urban centers like Austin, Dallas and Houston has contributed to a purpling of its politics, even as an influx of illegal immigrants from the south could take a major toll in years to come.
Texas’s 38 seats are second only to California, which lost a House seat despite its open-borders policies. The seats also correspond to the number of electoral votes in the 2024 and 2028 presidential elections.
Other states losing seats were Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, according to the Washington Examiner.
Two blue-dominated states were among those making gains: Oregon and the formerly battleground Colorado, which has grown increasingly leftist over the past decade.
