Texas Republicans gerrymander congressional map

Republican leaders in Texas are proposing a new congressional map designed to flip multiple Democrat-held House seats, potentially triggering a nationwide gerrymandering battle between the states. The move, pushed by Governor Greg Abbott and other representatives, reportedly has the backing of President Donald Trump, who said he supports a “simple redrawing” of Texas.

Current vs. proposed district breakdown

Texas currently operates with 38 congressional districts, split between 25 Republican-held seats and 12 Democratic seats. One seat remains open following the death of Representative Sylvester Turner, with a special election scheduled towards the end of the year. Under the proposed redistricting plan, election analyst Dave Wasserman projects the new map would create 30 Republican-favoring districts and only eight Democrat-favoring districts. This shift would give Republicans control of approximately 79% of Texas House seats.

Changes target Democrats

The proposed redistricting threatens several Democratic representatives. The new lines could force Austin-area Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett into a primary battle in 2026. Houston Representative Al Green’s 9th District would be merged with the currently vacant 18th District, potentially creating additional challenges for Democratic representation. Usually, congressional maps are redrawn following the U.S. Census, with the most recent redistricting completed in 2022. However, Texas Governor Abbott has called a special legislative session to redraw congressional lines ahead of schedule.

Democratic response

The Texas redistricting effort has prompted Democratic governors to consider taking matters in their own hands. Governor Gavin Newsom claimed on social media that “Donald Trump asks for 5 seats and Greg Abbott automatically bends the knee.” He added, “The 2026 election is being rigged. California won’t sit back and watch this happen.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul is reportedly exploring options to redraw New York’s congressional map to benefit Democrats.

Why Democrats are at a disadvantage

Despite threats of their own gerrymandering, Democrats face significant disadvantages. Many Democratic states already utilize independent redistricting commissions. In addition, most areas have already maximized their advantage in existing maps. Texas Democratic lawmakers are considering other measures to block the redistricting including leaving the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass the new map.

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