A new report warns that the Electoral College map is trending away from Democrats, potentially weakening the party’s chances of reclaiming the White House in 2032 and beyond.
According to The New York Times projections, if current population shifts continue — with residents leaving Democratic-led states for Republican-led ones — the 2030 census could significantly bolster GOP strength in the 2032 presidential election.
Florida and Texas alone could gain a combined five congressional seats, while Idaho and Utah are each projected to add one. Those gains would come at the expense of Democratic strongholds such as California and New York, with Minnesota and Pennsylvania also expected to lose a seat each.
The analysis suggests the impact would be particularly acute in battleground states. Based on current population trends, Democrats could lose roughly one-third of their existing Electoral College winning combinations. More strikingly, when measured against voting patterns from the 2024 election, the Democrats’ 25 most plausible paths to victory would shrink to just five.
The Brennan Center for Justice projects Republicans could gain three additional safe seats through reapportionment in Florida and Texas, while New York is expected to lose one more seat than The New York Times previously estimated.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said the party must begin planning now for the political landscape of the next decade. “There’s no doubt about it, and it’s a lot of what I talked about when I ran for chair,” Martin said, per the Times.
“We have to acknowledge that there’s some of these states that are red that are going to need more resources to essentially help us win down the road,” he added.
The Times projects that Florida and Texas will each see population growth of nearly 13% over the next several years, adding millions of new residents. Among Democratic-led states, Colorado is expected to grow the fastest, though at a slower pace of under 10%. By contrast, Illinois and New York are projected to experience population declines by 2030.
