UPDATE: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has just signed new legislation that significantly alters the state’s congressional map, aiming to add five Republican seats in the U.S. House for the 2026 midterm elections. This urgent move has sparked a nationwide conversation on redistricting, with states like California now considering changes of their own.
The Texas Senate approved the map early Saturday, just days after the Texas House passed the bill. This legislative push came after a tumultuous period where Democratic lawmakers left the state to avoid a quorum, even fleeing to California and New York. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton attempted to arrest these lawmakers to bring them back.
In a video shared on social media, Abbott declared, “Today, I signed the One Big Beautiful Map into law. This map ensures fairer representation in Congress. Texas will be more RED in Congress.” Holding the signed document, he emphasized, “Texas is now more red in the United States Congress.”
Currently, Texas boasts 38 congressional districts, with 25 controlled by Republicans. The GOP holds a narrow majority in the U.S. House with 219-212, following the deaths of three Democrats and the resignation of one Republican.
This major redistricting effort was spurred by a request from former President Donald Trump, requiring a special legislative session lasting 30 days. Abbott stated, “I promised we would get this done, and delivered on that promise,” underscoring the significance of this legislative victory.
However, the new maps are already facing legal challenges. A three-judge panel in a U.S. District court in El Paso has scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing for October 1-10, indicating that this battle is far from over. Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder warned, “This isn’t over — we’ll see these clowns in court,” criticizing the new maps as racially discriminatory, particularly impacting areas like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.
Democrats argue that the redistricting process has been manipulated, with Rep. Chris Turner lamenting, “It breaks my heart to see how this illegal and rigged mid-decade redistricting scheme is dividing our state.” In contrast, Rep. Todd Hunter, the bill’s author, claimed that four of the five new districts will be “majority-minority Hispanic” and trending Republican.
As Texas shifts its congressional landscape, California is also in the spotlight. The Golden State could potentially gain five seats for Democrats, but voters will need to approve the changes in a referendum. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed the “Election Rigging Response Act,” emphasizing the importance of direct democracy in this contentious landscape.
Other states with Democratic majorities, including Illinois, New York, Maryland, and Oregon, are contemplating similar redistricting measures, while Republican-controlled states like Ohio, Indiana, and Florida may also redraw their maps before the upcoming elections.
As the legal battles loom and other states consider their moves, the implications of Texas’s new congressional map will be closely watched. The evolving political landscape promises to shape the 2026 elections and beyond, making this an urgent story to follow.
