Interesting approach, but clearly not founded on any real understanding of the makeup of various social regions of the country.
Seems to me a better approach would be to split larger States into multiple smaller States...California could become three, New York could become two, Ohio could become two, Texas could become three, Washington could become two, and Oregon could become two. There are others, I’m sure.
Illinois could become 2.
Historically, where Appalachia starts is Southern.
PA, for instance, is majority Conservative and pro MAGA, outside of Filthadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
Western MD has far more in common with WV and this area of PA than they have with Baltimore / DC.