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Go ahead, Democrats. Congratulate yourselves on your multiple victories in this week’s elections. Enjoy your parties. Indulge in fantasies about how big your tent can be, how many new presidential prospects now seem possible. But after that, brace yourselves, because Republicans may not be playing by the same rules a year from now.

Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term—indeed, since his loss in 2020—he has shown his willingness to subvert the rules of free and fair elections. In various ways, he’s used his power to intimidate potential opponents, Democratic donors, and even voters who might oppose him. His administration appointed the election denier Heather Honey to the newly created role of deputy assistant secretary for election integrity. This week’s decisive Democratic victories mean that Trump and his allies have no reason to stray from that path as the 2026 midterms approach. As Trump posted on Truth Social just after the Democratic victories were announced this week: “…AND SO IT BEGINS!”

Democrats have started working the refs in response. On the ballot in California this week was Proposition 50, a new initiative to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts in Democrats’ favor. Governor Gavin Newsom did not advocate Proposition 50 as a way to better reflect the state’s changing population or to promote racial equity. Instead the measure was written explicitly as payback. “The people of California, not politicians, should have the power to approve temporary congressional district maps in response to President Trump’s election-rigging scheme,” it reads. The measure, called the Election Rigging Response Act, passed by an enormous margin. Perhaps it is the temporary emergency measure Newsom billed it as. But once the gerrymandering arms race gets going, it might be hard to stop its momentum.

In this episode of Radio Atlantic, we talk to our staff writer David A. Graham about the vote this year and next. His December cover story warns that Trump is already laying the groundwork to subvert the next vote. We talk about this week’s election as a test run for 2026, gerrymandering, and future possible scenarios of election meddling.

The following is a transcript of the episode:

[Music]

Michael George (from CBS): It was a clean sweep for Democrats last night as the party clinched victories in key races across the country.

Hanna Rosin: Democrats won big. That’s the main takeaway from this week’s elections.

It’s the first time that voters across the country got to voice their opinion since Donald Trump was reelected—and their answer, in this admittedly limited test run, was: “No, thank you.” It was blue, blue, blue everywhere.

This was true of the governors’ races.

Meg Kinnard (from the Associated Press): The Associated Press has determined that Democrat Mikie Sherrill has been elected as governor of New Jersey. Jake Tapper (from CNN): And in the commonwealth of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, the former congresswoman, handily winning the governor’s race.

Rosin: It was true in California’s Proposition 50.

Kristen Welker (from NBC): Voters have approved a ballot measure on redistricting that could boost Democrats in next year’s midterm elections. It’s the theme of the night: Voters turning out, signaling they want change, and they are not happy with the president’s party.

Rosin: And it was true in local races all around the country, like, most notably, New York City, where Zohran Mamdani made history as a young Muslim progressive now elected mayor.

(Applause.) Zohran Mamdani (from YouTube): So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up! (Cheers and applause.)

Rosin: Democrats are, of course, enjoying their victory parties, measuring how big their tent could get, daring to dream of retaking the House in 2026 to be some sort of check on Trump.

But that is still a ways away. And in the meantime, there’s another important election story brewing, which is that the president does not wan