Fact check: When has us congressional redistricting happened outside of census review

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, US congressional redistricting has indeed occurred outside of census review, with the most prominent current example being Texas. Texas Republicans are actively pursuing mid-decade redistricting to redraw congressional maps and potentially add five new GOP-leaning districts ^{[1] [2] [3]}. This represents a rare but not unprecedented departure from the typical post-census redistricting cycle ^[1].

The Texas redistricting effort has triggered a broader redistricting war, with Democratic-controlled states responding in kind. California and New York are now exploring their own redistricting efforts outside the normal census cycle ^{[4] [5] [6]}. California Governor Gavin Newsom is specifically exploring options to work around the state's independent redistricting commission to create more Democratic districts ^[6].

Missouri has also been mentioned as another state pushing for redistricting outside the census review process ^[1]. These efforts are primarily aimed at locking in partisan advantages for the respective parties controlling these states ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial pieces of context:

• Legal and political hurdles: Mid-decade redistricting faces significant challenges, and such efforts are unlikely to be successful before the 2026 midterm elections due to these obstacles ^[5].
• Historical precedent: While the current wave is notable, the analyses suggest this practice is "unusual but not unprecedented" ^[1], indicating there have been previous instances not detailed in the provided sources.
• Democratic resistance: Texas House Democrats have broken quorum by staying out of state to prevent the redistricting efforts from proceeding ^[3], demonstrating active opposition to these mid-decade efforts.
• Timing implications: The redistricting efforts are specifically targeting the 2026 midterm elections ^[7], providing important context about the political timeline and motivations.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, as it is posed as an inquiry rather than making claims. However, the question's framing could benefit from additional context:

• The question implies this might be an unusual occurrence without acknowledging that multiple states are currently engaged in this practice simultaneously ^{[4] [5] [1]}.
• The question doesn't capture the partisan nature of these efforts, where both Republican and Democratic states are using mid-decade redistricting as a strategic political weapon to gain electoral advantages ^{[4] [1]}.
• There's no indication in the question of the retaliatory nature of some of these efforts, particularly how Democratic states are responding to Republican initiatives in Texas ^{[4] [2]}.

The analyses reveal this is not just a historical curiosity but an active political battleground where both parties are attempting to maximize their congressional representation outside the traditional census-based redistricting cycle.