House races where redistricting is pitting Democrats against one another

Redistricting is pitting a number of Democratic incumbents against one another in what will likely be a handful of competitive and grueling House primaries. 

The decennial process isn’t complete yet — some states haven’t finalized their congressional maps or are caught in litigation over the new lines — but lawmakers in at least three states have already started the awkward process of battling a colleague. 

Here are the districts where Democrats are battling in a primary:

Georgia’s 7th Congressional District 

Democratic Reps. Lucy McBath and Carolyn Bourdeaux are gearing up for a fierce primary battle with hopes of representing Georgia’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District.

The Peach State’s new congressional map, which was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in December, flipped McBath’s 6th Congressional District seat red, handing Republicans a likely victory in November’s midterm elections and prompting McBath to run in the neighboring district represented by Bourdeaux, which moved even further left.

McBath currently represents 12.1 percent of the new district, while Bourdeaux represents 57 percent in the current 7th district, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Both lawmakers have solid credentials heading into the May primary race. McBath has strong name recognition and a captivating story of how she journeyed to Congress — the breast cancer survivor entered the political arena after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed. 

Bourdeaux, on the other hand, is in her first term but was the only Democrat to flip a GOP-held seat blue in 2020. She also may receive a boost because she currently represents a larger part of the new district.

The primary in the Atlanta suburbs between the two rising stars is expected to be expensive.

Illinois’s 6th Congressional District 

Rep. Marie Newman (D) is taking on Rep. Sean Casten (D) in Illinois’s 6th Congressional District after the redistricting process moved her hometown into Rep. Jesús Garcia’s (D) 4th Congressional District. She chose to take on Casten rather than Garcia, who is the second Hispanic lawmaker Illinois residents have sent to Congress.

Newman, however, currently represents a larger swath of the new district than Casten, 41.3 percent to 23.4 percent, respectively, according to FiveThirtyEight.

The primary race, set for the end of June, is shaping up to be a faceoff between the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic Party. Newman is an outspoken progressive who bested incumbent Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D) in the district’s 2020 primary race. Lipinski labeled himself a “pro-life Democrat” because of his opposition to abortion. 

Casten, on the other hand, is more in tune with moderates in the party. He flipped the seat blue in 2018 by ousting Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.).

Michigan’s 11th Congressional District

Democratic Reps. Andy Levin and Haley Stevens are set to face off in a primary battle to represent Michigan’s 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

The state’s new congressional map, drawn by an independent commission and hailed as a win against partisan gerrymandering, wrapped Levin and Stevens into the same district, pitting the two incumbents against one another in a solid Democrat territory. 

Levin, who currently sits in the 9th Congressional District, represents 24.8 percent of the district, while Stevens has 45.1 percent of the terrain, according to FiveThirtyEight. Stevens is currently the representative for the11th Congressional District. 

Both lawmakers were sent to Congress in 2018 and secured reelection two years later.