Democrats in Indiana, Ohio and Missouri face few good options to counter the GOP in its efforts to push forward with redistricting.

In Texas, Democrats temporarily blocked efforts to pass a GOP-friendly House map by leaving the state to deny Republicans the minimum number of lawmakers needed to conduct business. But Democrats in the three Midwestern states don’t have the numbers needed to deny Republicans a quorum, depriving them of one of the most effective ways to stall the redistricting process.

The situation has meant many Democratic leaders are struggling to find ways to fight back against potential new maps — and are leaning on each other for support.

“My job for the last several weeks has been to constantly explain to people why we're going to lose this fight. That is a deeply demoralizing position to be in as a leader,” said Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D).

“Just being able to know there are other folks out there going through the same thing, who are also having difficult conversations with their caucus members and their communities — sometimes it just helps to know that you're not alone,” she said.

Having limited power in these states has been a reality for Democrats for years. The party hasn’t had a majority in any house of the three states’ legislatures for at least a decade, if not longer.

But the party’s minority status could cost it even further representation in the U.S. House and cement an even more dominant Republican edge.

The map that Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) has proposed would likely increase the margin in his House delegation from six Republicans and two Democrats to seven and one. It would do this by splitting the Kansas City-area district, which is currently represented by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D), into two districts and diluting the city’s political power with more conservative rural areas.

Ohio, which unlike other states was already required to redraw its........

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