California, New York Lose Congressional Seats – Texas, Florida Gain

On Monday, the U.S. Census Bureau released the results of the 2020 census. The final tally changes the number of representatives some states now have, and therefore changes the number of Electoral College votes they possess as well.

The results are mixed, but of note, the largest blue states have lost seats while the largest red states have gained.

California and New York have lost one seat apiece, along with Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

On the flip side, Texas gained two seats, while Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Montana, and Oregon have gained one seat each.

The results are pretty close to what some had predicted.

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Advantage Could Lean To GOP With New Numbers

According to Kiplinger, the new census numbers could help Republicans in 2024.

The Midwest and Northeast don’t fare well. Of ten states set to lose seats, eight of them are from these two regions.

States in the South and West saw the biggest gains in representation.

If we look at the 2020 Presidential election map, states that voted for Donald Trump gained a net +3 electoral votes.

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New District Lines To Be Drawn 

With new census numbers comes newly-drawn congressional districts. Again, the GOP has the upper hand on who draws the lines.

While each state has different processes for how the lines are drawn, in 26 states, whoever runs the statehouse gets to draw the congressional district lines, and in those states, Republicans control the statehouse.

The Bloomberg report also says that Republicans control the majority of the fastest growing congressional districts throughout the country. 

Currently, the Democrat majority in the House is very thin at 218-212, with five seats vacant.

Even the smallest geographic changes could change the balance of power, depending on how reapportionment goes in several states.

For Democrats, this could make a fight for D.C. statehood much more attractive. Washington D.C. is one of the most liberal areas in the country and would guarantee Democrat members of the House and Senate. 

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California losing a House seat is especially significant, since it is the first time it has happened since statehood in 1850.

The overall shift of population to the South and West, currently GOP strongholds, could have huge implications in the coming years.