State‑court map stays shape national control

When state courts block or stay newly drawn congressional maps close to an election, the reversion or delay can flip individual districts back into the other party’s column and change the national majority calculus. Small numerical shifts — a single seat or a few percentage points in a forecast — can matter because House control is decided on narrow margins, and such rulings often trigger Supreme Court appeals that further nationalize the dispute. — Shows that subnational judicial timing and procedural rulings are an underappreciated lever that can alter national electoral outcomes and invite high‑court intervention.