Redistricting of maps in Texas, proposed by Trump, receives approval from the state House in anticipation for elections scheduled in 2026.
Texas House Approves Redrawn Congressional Maps, Sparking Controversy
In a move that could significantly shift the political landscape, the Texas House approved new congressional maps on Wednesday, granting Republicans a larger edge ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Republican-led House employed a parliamentary maneuver to take a second and final vote on the map, thereby avoiding the need to reconvene after Senate approval. The new map, as claimed by Republicans, creates more new majority-minority seats than the previous one.
However, Democrats are not taking this development lightly. They are fuming and have threatened a lawsuit to block the new maps, arguing that the Republicans made a political power move before passing legislation responding to the deadly floods that swept the state.
Upon their return, Democratic legislators were assigned round-the-clock police monitoring to ensure attendance. State Rep. Ron Reynolds warned GOP members about being remembered for what he called "this racial gerrymander." Democrats and some civil rights groups argue that the GOP's approach leads to halving the number of the state's House seats represented by a Black representative.
Meanwhile, in California, the Democratic-controlled state Legislature is expected to approve a new House map creating five new Democratic-leaning districts. If approved by the state Senate and signed by the governor, this move would give Republicans five more winnable seats.
Notably, the Republican governor's claim about the California map is inaccurate. California is, in fact, governed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who voted Tuesday evening in favor of a new redistricting plan creating five new Democratic-leaning districts to counteract Texas Republicans' recent redistricting aimed at gaining five additional Republican-leaning seats.
The GOP is pushing to remake the map in states beyond Texas, including Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio. In response, Democrats have vowed to challenge the new Texas map in court and are considering reopening the maps in Maryland and New York.
The Democratic Party's main redistricting arm has received support from former President Barack Obama for a "smart, measured approach." Interestingly, more Democratic-run states have commission systems or redistricting limits than Republican ones, giving the GOP a freer hand to swiftly redraw maps.
The approval of the Texas maps came at the urging of former President Donald Trump. The delay in the vote by two weeks due to Democratic legislators fleeing Texas in protest marked the best chance for Democrats to derail the redraw. The California map, if approved by voters in November, would also significantly impact the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
