State leaders in Texas and California are moving to redraw congressional maps to shift five U.S. House seats toward their preferred parties ahead of the 2026 midterms. Texas Republicans advanced a rare mid-decade plan explicitly intended to improve Republican performance, with Gov. Greg Abbott prepared to sign and Democrats vowing court challenges. Redistricting typically follows the decennial census, and how districts are drawn can determine electoral outcomes. California officials are considering asking voters to approve a countermeasure to bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission, with Democratic leaders framing the effort as a response to Texas’s actions.
Texas Republicans who designed their rare mid-decade redistricting plan were clear about their intentions. "I want everybody to know this," state Rep. Todd Hunter, sponsor of the redistricting bill, told his colleagues this week. "The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: Improve Republican political performance." Trump lauded the bill's progress, saying "Texas never lets us down." GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, a close Trump ally, said he would sign the measure, but Democrats have threatened to challenge the new map in court.
Redistricting is usually done after the national census at the start of each decade, and how voters are grouped into congressional districts can be critical in determining who wins the seats. Abbott put a proposed redraw on the Legislature's agenda last month when Trump called for five more Republican-leaning districts in Texas. The state currently has 38 seats in the House 25 held by Republicans, 13 by Democrats.
#redistricting #partisan-gerrymandering #texas-politics #california-politics #2026-midterm-elections
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