In many states, the winners of 2018 races for governor and state legislative seats will wield considerable power: The once-per-decade responsibility to redraw congressional maps.
After the 2020 Census provides an updated account of where people live, it will be up to the states to adjust their districts to fit that new reality. Elections to the U.S. House will operate under the new maps starting in 2022 and for the following 10 years.
In all, 30 governors and more than 800 state legislators who could have a hand in the new maps will be selected in November, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In some states, the process has brought with it gerrymandering — the drawing of districts to advantage or disadvantage one party or race — tilting the makeup of the U.S. House and resulting in years of legal challenges.
