This article is from the archive of our partner .
Conservatives' former foe, the Census Bureau, is about to new data that will increase their power in Congress. Earlier this year, many anti-government activists refused to fill out their census forms, and Republicans worried the boycott would mean fewer of their voters would be counted. But that appears not to be the case. On Tuesday, the Census numbers are expected to show population gains for GOP-held states like Texas and Georgia--meaning they'll get more members in the House of Representatives--and losses in Democratic strongholds like New York and Massachusetts.
The bad news for Democrats is compounded by their losses in the midterm elections, in which Republicans captured a majority of state legislatures, The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weisman reports. The state houses will redraw congressional district lines, presumably for the majority party's advantage. In Texas, for example, Republicans have a big majority and the governor's mansion, and redistricting consultants expect district lines--which will include three or four new seats--to the GOP's advantage. Still, the changes won't do much to change the dynamics of presidential elections. The data would only strip President Obama of seven of the 365 electoral votes he won two years ago.