Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina are moving to wipe out Democratic House seats before the midterms, and Republicans could net up to 13 new seats

Three Southern states, Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina, are moving to eliminate Democratic-held House seats ahead of the November midterm elections. If their redistricting efforts succeed and hold up in court, Republicans could gain anywhere from four to thirteen new seats. This would give the party a major boost in the House of Representatives and shift the balance of power significantly heading into the fall.

Alabama Republicans have filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to lift a lower court ruling that is blocking their redistricting plans, according to Fox News chief legal correspondent Shannon Bream. This comes after the Supreme Court struck down the use of race as the primary factor in drawing a congressional district. Republicans have been moving quickly to take advantage of that ruling.

According to Mediaite, Tennessee approved a new map that appears to give Republicans an extra seat, despite repeated protests from Democrats and voting rights advocates. Florida also approved new maps that could add four more Republican seats, even as Democrats raised strong objections. These moves are part of a broader, coordinated Republican push to reshape the political map before voters go to the polls in November.

Republicans are aggressively redrawing the map, and Democrats are struggling to keep up

“We’re not going to let them get away with this,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a clip from earlier in the month. “Our message to Florida Republicans is, ‘F around and find out.'” Virginia Democrats are planning to file an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court after the state’s high court struck down their redrawn congressional maps.

However, Bream noted the ruling was strictly about interpreting the state constitution, and it is unclear whether the federal claims Democrats plan to bring will hold up in court. This legal fight is unfolding as Trump continues to push for Republican gains, he has reportedly claimed near-total support within his own party, though those numbers have been publicly disputed.

Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow mid-decade redistricting. Writing for the majority, Justice D. Arthur Kelsey wrote that the legislature submitted the proposed constitutional amendment to voters “in an unprecedented manner.”

He added that this violation “irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void.” The decision is a serious blow for Democrats, who had hoped to win as many as four additional U.S. House seats under Virginia’s redrawn map. Those gains were meant to offset Republican redistricting efforts carried out elsewhere at the urging of President Donald Trump, according to AP News.

With that option now off the table, Democrats are left scrambling to find other ways to make up ground before the midterms. Adding to Democratic concerns, the party is also losing ground in individual district races. A recent GOP primary result in a key battleground was still viewed as a positive sign for Republicans, showing how confident the party is heading into the election season.

Republicans appear to be in a strong position across multiple fronts, making the path forward for Democrats increasingly difficult. If Republicans succeed in all the redistricting proposals currently underway and the new maps survive legal challenges, they could net between four and thirteen new House seats before the midterm elections.

That kind of gain would give them a strong grip on the House and make it much easier for the party to push through its legislative agenda without significant Democratic resistance. For Democrats, the window to mount a serious legal or political challenge is narrowing fast, and the clock is ticking.