The Republican-led Texas Legislature moved forward Wednesday on a congressional redistricting plan intended to target Democrat-held seats, a mid-decade partisan gerrymandering push ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Texas House of Representatives voted 88-52 to advance the plan, sending it to the Texas state Senate, where it is expected to pass as soon as Thursday evening.
President Donald Trump spurred the changes to buoy his party’s prospects of maintaining control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections. California is among Democrat-controlled states where leaders have considered whether to retaliate with their own redistricting push.
Control of the U.S. House hinges on fewer than a half-dozen seats. The Lone Star State’s House delegation currently comprises 25 Republicans and 12 Democrats, with one vacancy after the March death of Democrat Sylvester Turner. Republicans have said the new Texas plan could net them an additional five seats in the state delegation.
Most redistricting processes occur directly after the decennial census, including Texas’ original Legislature-approved map. Usually when a state draws a second map mid-decade it is as a result of a legal challenge rather than the partisan tit-for-tat that has emerged over the summer.
During debate Wednesday, Republican state Rep. Todd Hunter argued that Republicans could redistrict at any time. “The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance,” Hunter said.
Wednesday’s vote happened weeks after state House Democrats staged a walkout to deny a quorum in the Legislature during the first session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. House Democrats returned last week for a second session that began this week.
In the first special session earlier this month, the Texas Senate approved a different version of a redrawn map on a 19-2 party-line vote after most Democrats refused to participate. The new plan makes major changes to the Democrat-held seats in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where most of the state’s Democratic delegation is concentrated. Under the current map, only the seats held by Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz and Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez are rated as competitive by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales.
During floor debate Wednesday in the House, Democrats argued that the plans were adopted at the behest of Trump and that it would discriminate against the state’s minority population communities.
There’s already an existing court challenge to the state’s first congressional map under the Voting Rights Act. It went to trial earlier this year before a three-judge panel that hasn’t yet issued a decision. Those challengers filed a motion Monday asking for the panel to consider the new map as part of their ongoing case.
That motion asked for a hearing next month on whether to block the new map from taking effect because the new map would discriminate against Hispanic and Latino voters.
Democrats have said they intend to redistrict in response. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has started the process for the state to redistrict ahead of the 2026 midterms. The process for the state would involve passing legislation as well as a ballot initiative this fall.
Newsom told reporters on a call Wednesday that the state would move forward with a redistricting plan as early as Thursday.
“It’s not about whether we play hardball anymore, it’s about how we play hardball,” Newsom said.
Representatives from both sides of the political aisle have pushed for more states to jump into the redistricting process. Vice President JD Vance met with Indiana leaders about redrawing the state’s map earlier this month, the Florida Legislature has formed a special committee on redistricting, and Ohio is also due to redraw its congressional districts.
On the Democratic side of the aisle, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she is exploring options for the state to redraw its lines, as has Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Both California and New York have redistricting commission processes and could require a change in law to allow mid-decade redistricting.
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