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Get you up to speed: Did Republican efforts to redistrict the House turn into a dummymander? A state-by-state guide

Republicans in several states attempted mid-decade redistricting to maintain control of the House, but the efforts were largely unsuccessful as Democrats gained control on Election Day and are estimated to secure between 251 to 268 seats. In Texas, Republicans won 24 seats and Democrats 14, while in Ohio, Republicans secured seven seats compared to seven victories for Democrats, resulting in both states being classified as dummymanders.

Republicans undertook redistricting efforts in several states, with Texas, Ohio, and North Carolina emerging as significant examples where their strategies backfired, leading to unexpected Democratic gains. As of Wednesday, WTX US News estimates indicate that both Texas and Ohio could qualify as dummymanders if Democrats secure additional undecided races, impacting their redistricting approach moving forward.

Democrats are expected to capitalise on their House control, with ongoing measures being discussed to redraw districts in several states following their electoral successes. Following the results, Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers plan to advance a new district map after the passage of a ballot initiative that allows for less restrictive redistricting.

What remains unclear — It is not yet known how the newly drawn congressional maps will affect future elections in states that experienced successful gerrymanders.

Republican redistricting efforts face setbacks in mid-decade elections across multiple states

Republicans undertook a historic effort to redraw several states’ Congressional districts mid-decade in an attempt to maintain control of the House. That effort was rebuffed on Tuesday night as the GOP was on track to lose all of the districts it tried to gerrymander. 

There were several reasons that states undertook what had previously been a rare practice of mid-decade redistricting. Republican efforts started when President Trump ordered Texas lawmakers to redraw their map to net up to five seats for the GOP. 

But despite the all-out effort, Democrats won control of the House on Tuesday, with WTX US News estimating Democrats could end up with 251 to 268 House seats. 

With the House decisively swinging toward Democrats and Democrats undertaking measures in a few states to counter the GOP’s efforts, Republicans are faced with the possibility of having created a so-called “dummymander,” a situation in which a party tries to gerrymander, but ends up benefiting the other party. 

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of how the redistricting efforts panned out:

Texas

Texas Republicans went into Election Day controlling 24 seats, while Democrats controlled 13 seats and there was one seat in a GOP-leaning district that was vacant. In redrawing the map, Republicans sought to emphasize Mr. Trump’s gains in South Texas to win five more seats. 

As of Wednesday, Republicans had won 24 seats and Democrats had won 14 seats, making Texas a dummymander. 

Ohio 

A commission comprised mainly of Republicans hand-picked by GOP lawmakers redrew Ohio’s map to net two more seats for their party. Republicans heavily targeted longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s district in the northern part of the state and Rep. Greg Landsman’s Cincinnati-area district.

Heading into Tuesday night, Ohio Republicans controlled 10 seats and Democrats controlled five. Seven Democrats, including Kaptur and Landsman, won Tuesday night, and WTX US News estimates another district is likely Democratic. Republicans have only won seven districts, making Ohio a dummymander.

North Carolina

Although North Carolina has a Democratic governor, Republican lawmakers have a veto-proof majority in the statehouse and pushed through a new map that attempted to oust Democratic Rep. Don Davis. 

North Carolina Republicans controlled 10 House seats going into Election Day, while Democrats controlled four, including Davis’ district. As of Wednesday, four Democrats had won and WTX US News estimated that another five were likely Democratic. Republicans had not yet won any races, with WTX US News estimating one race was likely Republican and another four were toss-ups. 

If Democrats ultimately win any of the undecided races, North Carolina will be a dummymander. 

Louisiana

Louisiana lawmakers redrew their districts after the Supreme Court ruled in June that compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could not justify the state’s use of race in redrawing its House district lines. 

Louisiana went into Election Day with four House seats controlled by Republicans and two controlled by Democrats. The new map aimed to eliminate one of the majority Black districts that currently have Democratic representatives. 

As of Wednesday, Republicans had won three districts, while Democrats had won one. WTX US News estimates one district is a toss-up and the state’s 5th District will be going to a runoff. If Democrats win either of those districts, Louisiana will be a dummymander.

Alabama

After the same Supreme Court decision, Alabama Republicans sought to eliminate the state’s two majority Black districts, both of which are represented by Democrats. Both incumbents won reelection on Tuesday, so Republicans did not net any more than the five they already controlled, making Alabama a dummymander.  

Tennessee

Tennessee lawmakers also redrew their map after that Supreme Court decision to target the lone Democratic district in Nashville. 

Going into Election Day, Republicans had eight seats and Democrats had one. As of Wednesday, Republicans had won six seats and two races were set to go to a runoff, including the newly drawn 9th District in Nashville. If Democrats win one or both districts, Tennessee will be a dummymander.

Florida

Led by Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, GOP lawmakers redrew their map to net up to four more seats for their party. 

Heading into Election Day, Republicans controlled 20 seats and Democrats controlled eight. As of Wednesday, Republicans had won 16 seats, Democrats had won seven and there were five districts that WTX US News estimated were toss-ups. If Democrats win any of the toss-up races, Florida will be a dummymander.

Missouri

Missouri’s GOP-led legislature last year redrew their map to make one of the state’s two Democratic-held districts more friendly to Republicans. But the map’s legality was challenged, and a state court ruled the map could not be used unless it was approved by voters. The Supreme Court three times blocked Missouri from using the new map, leaving the 2022 congressional districts in place for Tuesday’s election. 

Heading into Election Day, Republicans controlled six districts while Democrats held two. Democrats flipped another district, giving them three seats to the Republicans’ five. 

Indiana 

Mr. Trump had also pushed lawmakers in Indiana to pass a map that would edge out the state’s two Democratic lawmakers and make it a 9-0 Republican delegation. Despite pressure from Mr. Trump, the GOP-led state Senate rejected the new map. 

Using the same boundaries as the last two cycles, Democrats held onto their two seats and flipped a third, making the state’s representation 6-3. 

South Carolina

South Carolina Republicans also sought to redraw their map after the Supreme Court decision in an effort to edge out powerful Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn and make the state’s representation 7-0 for Republicans. But the measure failed in the state Senate, and Clyburn won reelection on Tuesday. Two other races are considered toss-ups. 

California 

In response to Texas’ redistricting efforts, California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom put forth a ballot measure to redraw the map to gain five seats for Democrats, which was decisively approved by voters.

Heading into Election Day, Democrats held 43 districts and Republicans held nine. As of Wednesday, Democrats won in 40 districts, while WTX US News estimates another eight are likely Democratic. Republicans have won three districts and another one is likely Republican. 

Since Democrats picked up seats in California, it is a successful gerrymander for Democrats.

Utah 

A judge in 2025 rejected Utah’s congressional map that favored Republicans in all four districts, and then a district court rejected the redistricting map selected by the GOP-controlled legislature and instead selected a map that would create a Democratic-leaning congressional district in Salt Lake City. 

Under the new map, Democrat Ben McAdams won the 1st District in Salt Lake City by 47 points. 

Virginia 

Virginia voters decisively approved a ballot measure in April to redraw the congressional map to favor Democrats in 10 districts and Republicans in one. But the map was thrown out by the Virginia Supreme Court, putting back in place the map drawn in 2021. 

Heading into Tuesday, Democrats held six seats while Republicans held five. Using the same boundaries as the past two cycles, Democrats won seven seats, Republicans won two and two are considered toss-ups.

Maryland

Maryland’s state constitution requires that congressional districts be compact and connected, and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic lawmakers championed a ballot initiative to remove those restraints on redistricting.

The ballot initiative, known as Question 3, passed by 20 points on Tuesday, so Democrats are likely to redraw their map now to edge out their sole GOP representative. 

‘Cheer up, you caught the bad guy,’ says killer Virginia McCullough as she is arrested for murdering her parents

A woman who murdered her parents “in cold blood” before hiding them in makeshift tombs for four years told officers to “cheer up, you caught the bad guy” as she was arrested in her home.

Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication and fatally stabbed her mother Lois McCullough, 71, shortly afterwards in 2019.

She ran up large debts on credit cards in her parents’ names and after their deaths, she continued to spend their pensions until she was finally caught in 2023.

In body-worn video footage released by police, a handcuffed – and eerily calm – McCullough told officers: “I did know that this would kind of come eventually.

“It’s proper that I serve my punishment.”

She said she had slipped something into her father’s drink then put his body under a bed on the ground floor, and put her mother’s body in an upstairs wardrobe.

McCullough, having been arrested on suspicion of double murder, told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy.”

She added: “I know I don’t seem 100% evil.”

At the police station, she told officers where a kitchen knife was, which she described as a “murder weapon”, and a hammer which she said “will still have blood on it”.

McCullough, of Pump Hill, Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday with a minimum term of 36 years at Chelmsford Crown Court, after she admitted to their murders between 17 and 20 June 2019 at an earlier hearing at the same court.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how she hid their bodies in makeshift tombs at the family home in Great Baddow in Essex, then told persistent lies to cover her tracks.

The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and frequently told doctors and relatives her parents were unwell, on holiday or away on lengthy trips.

But concerns over Mr and Mrs McCullough’s welfare were raised in September 2023 by a GP at their registered practice, and Essex County Council’s safeguarding team referred these to police.

The GP had not seen the couple for some time and said Mr McCullough had failed to collect medication and attend scheduled appointments. It was found McCullough had frequently cancelled appointments, using a range of excuses to explain her father’s absence.

Police said a missing persons investigation was initially launched and McCullough lied to officers, claiming her parents were travelling and would be returning in October.

It became a murder investigation, and when officers forced entry to the house in Pump Hill on September 15 2023, McCullough confessed that her parents’ bodies were in the house and that she had killed them.

Nicola Rice, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “McCullough callously and viciously killed both of her parents before concealing their bodies in makeshift tombs within their home address.

“She spent the next four years manipulating and lying to family members, medical staff, financial institutions, and the police, spending her parents’ money and accruing large debts in their name.”

She added: “This was a truly disturbing case, which has left behind it a trail of devastation, and I can only hope that the sentence passed today will help those who loved and cared for Lois and John begin to heal.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/virginia-mccullough-arrest-video-murder-parents-chelmsford-b2627978.html

Sarah Wilkinson
Sarah Wilkinson@swilkinsonbc
To downplay the genocide, the israelis claim there’s only 20,000 people left in north Gaza, says @MahaGaza : the real number exceeds 400,000
Carol Voderman
Carol Voderman@carolvorders
Man of the right wing Nigel Farage taking more second jobs and freebie helicopter rides Gosh he’ll soon be a true blue Tory at this rate Or far far worse
Zarah Sultana
Zarah Sultana@ZarahSultana
The cost-of-living crisis is far from over, yet the government’s 50% increase to the bus fare cap is a political choice, adding hundreds to annual costs. To address hardship & the climate crisis, the government must keep the £2 cap & make public transport accessible for all.

Defense alliance NATO chief Mark Rutte has met US President-elect Donald Trump to discuss global security issues, according to a NATO spokesperson.

The meeting took place in Palm Beach, Florida.

During his first term as US president, 2017-2020, Trump pushed for European NATO countries to spend more on defense and described the alliance’s cost-sharing as unfair to the US.

Rutte took over as NATO chief from Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg in November.

Before taking office in January, Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth for the post of defense secretary, which has raised eyebrows among many allies.

Hegseth, 44, has served as an infantry captain in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has no senior military or government officer experience.

Multiple missiles were fired in an airstrike towards a densely populated part of Lebanon’s capital early on Saturday.

The huge airstrike targeted Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, and no prior warnings were given by the Israeli military. The largely residential area was struck last month.

At least one violent explosion was heard across the city, Reuters witnesses said, and plumes of smoke could be seen. Scenes of massive destruction at the site were shared online, including a massive crater in the ground.

“Beirut, the capital, woke up to a horrific massacre, as the Israeli enemy’s air force completely destroyed an eight-story residential building with five missiles on Al-Mamoun Street in Basta,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

The health ministry put the initial death toll at four, with 23 wounded. The number is expected to climb in the coming hours as search and rescue efforts continue.

It came after a long day of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been non-stop since last week.

The cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group escalated into a full-blown war in mid-September.

Israel has bombed southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs and the eastern Beqaa region, and has sent ground troops across the border. Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets deeper into Israel.

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