Democrats expected to gain in California and Utah after a judge’s ruling
The Wall Street Journal’s results presentation attached the latest results to nine key House races redrawn for 2026. Seven entries were labeled “Redistricted in favor of Republicans,” and two were labeled “Redistricted in favor of Democrats.”
The paper lists the piece under keywords by Christopher Mims and bylines Chiqui Esteban, a director of graphics at the paper in Washington, D.C. Esteban previously worked as graphics director for the Washington Post and the Boston Globe and as deputy art, maps and graphics director for National Geographic.
Those races came amid an unusual middecade redistricting effort kicked off by Republicans in Texas, which sparked countermoves by Democrats.
The Wall Street Journal expected redistricting to help Republicans in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas. It cautioned that the party may not win all the seats it hoped.
The paper separately expected Democrats to gain in California and Utah after a judge struck down the previous GOP-leaning lines.
The labels defined the test for each contest: whether the party favored by the new lines would convert that advantage into the House seat it sought. Seven races posed the question for Republicans; two posed it for Democrats.
The source said the earliest polls would close at 7 p.m. ET. Its central framing was direct: “Now, we will see if the parties’ efforts succeeded.”