A Texas state House panel on Saturday advanced proposed congressional maps that aim to make the Lone Star State’s district lines even friendlier to Republicans.
The Texas House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting voted to advance a set of maps that would give Republicans five more pick-up opportunities ahead of 2026 and would impact lawmakers in the Dallas-Forth, Austin, Houston and Rio Grande Valley areas.
The move tees up a floor vote in the House, where the map will be considered by all members. With an 88-62 GOP majority in the state House, the maps are expected to pass the lower chamber easily.
President Trump is looking to pick up five seats in Texas as Republicans brace for an unfavorable political environment in the midterms next year. Republicans are considering pick-up opportunities in Missouri, Indiana and Florida as well.
Texas Democrats have limited options to respond, given Republicans enjoy a decisive majority in the state legislature and in the governor’s office, though the map is expected to draw litigation.
Democrats could try to break quorum the number of lawmakers needed in order to conduct business as they did in 2003 when Texas Republicans engaged in mid-cycle redistricting, yet it would do little to thwart eventually passing a new map.
Democrats are also weighing their options for mid-cycle redistricting in blue states as a response. California is seriously considering several options – either through a ballot initiative or through the state legislature – to redraw its maps.
Democratic governors in New York, New Jersey and Illinois are leaving the door open to considering redrawing their maps.
The redistricting tit-for-tat is paving the way for a tumultuous election year that could upend multiple maps, setting off a scramble over which districts candidates run in and potentially impacting when primaries happen depending on whether those issues can be resolved quickly.
