State GOP pushes Texas congressional map through House to boost midterm chances

The Texas State House made a significant move on Wednesday by passing a new congressional map, overcoming Democratic opposition in an effort to strengthen the GOP’s chances of retaining control of the U.S. House in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

The Republican-controlled House approved the map with a vote of 88 to 52, introducing five new Republican-leaning congressional districts in Texas. However, the map still needs to go through the Texas State Senate before reaching Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for final approval.

Gov. Abbott advocated for the new map to align with former President Donald Trump’s wishes to avoid a repeat of the 2018 election, where Democrats gained a majority in the House and hindered the president’s legislative agenda.

While Republicans hold a supermajority in Texas and successfully passed the map through the state Senate, Democrats had to establish a quorum in the House to advance the process further.

Following weeks of Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to halt the proceedings, a resolution was reached on Monday as they agreed to return for a second special session. This decision came after California announced its plan to redraw its maps, prompting Democrats to end their blockade in Texas.

Despite Democratic claims that the GOP’s map was illegal and discriminatory, attempts to amend the bill were rejected by Texas House Republicans. Rep. Chris Turner expressed disappointment over the divisive nature of the redistricting process but was unable to sway the Republican majority.

On the other hand, Rep. Todd Hunter, the Republican legislator behind the new map, defended the changes by highlighting that the new districts were predominantly Hispanic and leaned towards the Republican party. He emphasized the goal of improving Republican electoral performance with the new map.

The Democrats’ obstruction was eventually lifted when Gov. Abbott called for a second special session, following their request for California to undergo redistricting as well. California Democrats responded by unveiling a map that would create five new Democratic-leaning districts to counterbalance the Republican-led map in Texas.

In conclusion, the redistricting battle in Texas has been a contentious and closely-watched affair, with both parties striving to gain an advantage in the upcoming elections. The final outcome of these political maneuvers will shape the future landscape of Texas politics in the years to come.