The two largest U.S. states have launched a congressional mid-decade redistricting war, and several other states are joining the fray ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which Democrats hope will mark the end of Republicans’ control of the federal government.

The two most populous states are in a political battle poised to have a major impact on the balance of power in Washington DC.

It’s 1962 again, only this time the Cold War pits Democrat against Republican for control of the US House of Representatives — and potentially over the last two years of the Trump presidency. A mid-decade redraw of congressional maps gone nationwide would have implications far beyond the 2026 midterms,