Texas House Approves Trump-Backed Gerrymander Ahead of 2026 Elections/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Texas House approved a mid-decade redistricting plan pushed by Donald Trump to secure more GOP seats in 2026. The maps would give Republicans five additional winnable districts, sparking fierce Democratic opposition and threats of lawsuits. The move has triggered a national redistricting fight, with California Democrats considering their own partisan redraw.
Texas Redistricting Battle: Quick Looks
- Texas House Vote: Approved 88-52 along party lines.
- Trump’s Role: Pressured GOP lawmakers to redraw maps mid-decade.
- Impact: Creates five more Republican-leaning seats.
- Democrats’ Response: Walkouts, lawsuits, and claims of racial gerrymandering.
- California’s Countermove: Preparing maps for five new Democratic districts.
- National Ripple Effect: States like Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio also weighing redraws.
- Voting Rights Concerns: Civil rights groups argue minority representation diluted.
- Republicans’ Defense: Say new maps expand majority-minority seats.
- Court Battles Likely: Legal challenges expected under the Voting Rights Act.
- Historic Parallels: Democrats liken fight to 1960s civil rights struggles.
Deep Look: Texas Approves Trump-Backed Redistricting Maps Ahead of 2026 Elections
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House on Wednesday passed a sweeping mid-decade redistricting plan designed to strengthen Republican control in the 2026 midterms, cementing a partisan map championed by President Donald Trump.
The 88–52 party-line vote ensures that Republicans could pick up five additional congressional seats, giving the GOP a better shot at holding the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled state Senate and Governor Greg Abbott, both expected to approve it.
Trump’s Push for New Maps
Trump directly urged Texas Republicans to pursue the redraw, part of a broader national strategy to lock in GOP dominance in the House, where Republicans currently cling to a slim three-seat majority. His influence loomed large over the Texas vote, with Democrats branding the measure “Donald Trump’s map.”
State Rep. John H. Bucy argued:
“It clearly and deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats in Congress because Trump himself knows voters are rejecting his agenda.”
Democrats’ Protest and Defeat
Texas Democrats fought hard to block the plan:
- Walkout: Fled the state for two weeks to delay the vote.
- Police Monitoring: Ordered round-the-clock surveillance upon return.
- Locked Doors: Republicans locked chamber doors during the debate to prevent more absences.
Despite the protests, Republicans muscled the plan through. “The goal is straightforward: improve Republican performance,” said GOP Rep. Todd Hunter, who authored the bill.
National Redistricting Arms Race
Texas’s move has set off a nationwide redistricting battle.
- California: Democrats are preparing to redraw their map to add five new blue-leaning seats, requiring a special referendum this fall.
- Indiana & Missouri: GOP leaders face Trump’s pressure to add Republican districts.
- Ohio: Already revising its map before Texas moved.
- Democratic Responses: Leaders in Maryland and New York are mulling options, though many blue states are bound by independent commissions that limit partisan redraws.
Former President Barack Obama, who once championed California’s independent commission, has now endorsed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call to override it, describing the move as necessary “to fight fire with fire.”
Voting Rights Challenges Ahead
Democrats are preparing lawsuits, arguing the new Texas maps dilute minority voting power, a potential violation of the Voting Rights Act.
- Civil Rights Groups: Already suing over Texas’s 2021 maps.
- History: Federal courts have ruled against Texas in every decade since the 1970s for violating minority representation protections.
- Democrats’ Argument: GOP “packing and cracking” reduces the number of Black-majority districts.
Rep. Ron Reynolds, citing the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, warned Republicans:
“History will remember those who stand on the wrong side of democracy and civil rights.”
Republicans countered by pointing to the increase in Hispanic and minority Republican lawmakers. Rep. Katrina Pierson, a former Trump spokesperson, rejected Democratic criticism:
“There are Black, Hispanic, and Asian Republicans elected just like you.”
High Stakes for 2026
With midterm elections looming, redistricting could decide control of Congress. Historically, the president’s party loses seats in midterms, but Trump and Republicans hope favorable maps will insulate them from that trend.
Meanwhile, Democrats are banking on court challenges and California’s voter referendum to offset GOP gains in Texas.
What happens next in this redistricting arms race will determine the balance of power in Washington for years to come.
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