Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, oversees a debate over a redrawn US congressional map in Texas during a special session, in Austin, Texas. (Pictur ecredit: AP)
The Texas House passed a controversial mid-decade redistricting plan on Wednesday that could hand Republicans five additional seats in the US House of Representatives, triggering a coast-to-coast battle over congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.The new boundaries were approved in an 88-52 party-line vote after weeks of political confrontation, reported news agency Associated Press. The move came following direct pressure from US President Donald Trump, who urged Texas lawmakers to deliver what he described as a “big beautiful map” to secure the GOP’s slim majority in Washington.The redrawn districts now move to the Republican-controlled state Senate before heading to Governor Greg Abbott, who has signalled he will sign them into law.Texas Democrats had attempted to derail the measure by leaving the state earlier this month, delaying proceedings for over two weeks. Upon their return, many were assigned round-the-clock police escorts to prevent another walkout. Several even staged overnight sit-ins at the Capitol in protest, as per the New York Times.Now they have vowed to contest the new law in court and have expressed concerns that Republicans undertook this political manoeuvre before enacting legislation in response to the deadly floods that affected the state last month. Republicans made little effort to disguise the motive behind the map. Todd Hunter, the Republican legislator who authored the plan, told colleagues, “The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance”, as quoted by AP.Democrats condemned the move as undemocratic and racially discriminatory. “In a democracy, people choose their representatives. This bill flips that on its head and lets politicians in Washington choose their voters,” said Democratic Representative Chris Turner, as cited by AP. His colleague John H Bucy directly blamed the president, declaring, “This is Donald Trump’s map. It clearly and deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats in Congress.”The vote has already fuelled retaliation. California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom vowed to “fight fire with fire,” saying state lawmakers would introduce a rival plan to create five new Democratic-leaning districts. As per news agency AFP, the proposal would need voter approval in a November referendum because California usually relies on an independent commission to draw maps. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Newsom’s effort, calling it a “smart, measured approach” to counter Texas.Other battleground states are now under pressure to follow suit. Republicans in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Florida are considering similar mid-cycle redraws, while Democrats in New York and Maryland are weighing their options despite stricter state limits.Civil rights groups are preparing legal challenges in Texas, pointing out that every redistricting cycle since the 1970s has seen courts find the legislature in violation of the Voting Rights Act. As per AP, critics argue the latest map weakens Black representation in Congress despite claims by Republicans that it increases minority-majority districts.State Representative Ron Reynolds, a Democrat, warned colleagues about their legacy and said, “Just like the people who were on the wrong side of history in 1965, history will be looking at the people who made the decisions in this body today.”Republicans, however, brushed aside accusations of racial bias. Katrina Pierson, a former Trump spokesperson turned lawmaker, told Democrats, “You call my voters racist, you call my party racist and yet we’re expected to follow the rules. There are Black and Hispanic and Asian Republicans in this chamber who were elected just like you.”With Trump personally lobbying Republican leaders across multiple states, and Democrats mobilising in response, the Texas map marks the opening clash in what could become a decisive national redistricting war ahead of 2026.
