States are redistricting to help one party but sometimes the move can backfire

As states consider redrawing their congressional district lines to favor one political party, some politicians warn that attempts to gerrymander can devolve into “dummymandering,” when partisan goals end up helping the opposing party in neighboring districts. Pushed initially by President Donald Trump, state legislators across the country are discussing and at times agreeing to change boundaries in hopes of helping members of their party and ultimately deciding control of the U.S. House in 2026. U.S. House districts are typically redrawn once a decade, immediately after a census, but some states allow it to happen more frequently.