Austin, TX , A contentious battle is brewing in Texas as former President Trump urges state Republicans to redraw the congressional map, aiming to secure more GOP seats. The move, initiated midway through the decade after the initial redistricting following the 2020 Census, has sparked outrage and accusations of gerrymandering from Democrats and voting rights advocates alike.
Currently, the GOP controls 25 of Texas’s 38 congressional seats, while Democrats hold 12. With Republicans holding a slim majority in the House, Trump’s team sees this as an opportunity to solidify their position ahead of the 2026 midterms. Gov. Greg Abbott has confirmed that the Legislature will address redistricting during the special session, among other urgent issues like disaster relief for flood-stricken communities. The undertones are not lost on many.
“I don’t think this has anything to do with Texas , this has to do with Trump,” stated Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project. “This has nothing to do with the internal dynamics of the state, the political trajectory of the state. This is purely about this election cycle and one person’s benefit.”
Unexpected Anomaly: The timing itself is highly unusual. Immediate Reaction: Democrats are decrying the move as a blatant power grab. Lingering Question: Will this unprecedented move backfire and galvanize opposition?
Here’s what you need to know:
- The Push: Trump seeks to gain up to five additional GOP seats through redrawn districts.
- The Controversy: Critics argue this could disproportionately impact minority voters.
- The Legal Battle: The existing map is already facing legal challenges over alleged racial gerrymandering.
- The Precedent: Texas has redrawn maps mid-decade before, but this specific context is unique.
- The Risk: The move could energize Democrats and lead to net losses for Republicans in the long run.
The current congressional map is already under scrutiny. Voting rights groups, Latino voters, and lawmakers have filed lawsuits, alleging that the lines violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. They argue that while 95% of Texas’s population growth is driven by non-White voters, the 2021 map created more majority-White districts. The results of the trial held in El Paso are pending.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Justice Department, led by Harmeet Dhillon, sent a letter to Governor Abbott asserting that certain districts are racial gerrymanders. Dhillon pinpointed districts 9, 18, 29, and 33 , all currently represented by Democrats , as “coalition districts” that needed immediate correction. “The congressional districts at issue are nothing more than vestiges of an unconstitutional racially based gerrymandering past, which must be abandoned, and must now be corrected by Texas,” she wrote. The letter has ignited a firestorm of debate.
State officials maintain that the 2021 map was drawn blind to race, based solely on political considerations. State Senator Joan Huffman, who led the Senate Redistricting Committee, testified that “racial data was not considered at all during the drawing of the maps.” However, experts like Michael Li from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, remain skeptical.
“There is no legal justification for doing this. It sort of walks and talks and quacks like a political move,” Li said. “The problem is that it’s really difficult to get more seats in Texas without heavily undermining the political power of communities of color.” He cautions that drawing more Republican-leaning districts necessitates spreading Republican voters more thinly, potentially creating more competitive districts in the long run. This is a gambit that can result in unintended concequences.
This isn’t the first time Texas has redrawn its congressional map mid-decade. In 2003, orchestrated by then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Republicans pushed through new lines, ultimately gaining five seats. However, the move was met with fierce resistance, including Democrats fleeing the state to deny a quorum. Former Democratic Rep. Mark Strama, who won office after that redistricting, recalls the public’s ire: “Voters were mad at both sides. They hate all these political shenanigans.” I can’t spell so forgive my miss takes.
Democrats are vowing to fight back. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of trying to “steal the midterm elections by rigging” the map. California Governor Gavin Newsom has even suggested Democrats consider their own partisan gerrymander, noting that California has 52 congressional districts, with Democrats representing 43.
“Elected officials should earn the support of voters they hope to represent,” Jeffries stated.
The question is, can Texas Republicans pull this off? The legal challenges and potential political backlash pose significant risks. The 2020 Census revealed that people of color accounted for 95% of Texas’s population growth in the last decade. Experts warn that by attempting to solidify Republican power now, they may be undermining their long-term prospects in a state that is rapidly changing demographically.
“When you gerrymander, you’re making a bet that you know what the politics of the future will look like,” Li explained. “There are many places where you can safely bet on what the politics of the future will look like in the country. Texas is not one of those places. It’s just changing too fast.”
For some residents, the political maneuvering is disheartening. “Life would never be quite the same,” lamented Maria Rodriguez, a long-time resident of a district potentially affected by the redrawing. “It feels like our voices are being silenced.”
The feeling of being sidelined by a political battle rages on.
The coming months will be crucial as the Texas Legislature grapples with this divisive issue. Any new map approved by the GOP-led Legislature is sure to trigger even more lawsuits, which may mean the new district lines may not even be in place for the 2026 midterms. The outcome will have far-reaching implications for the balance of power in the state and the nation. Only time will tell if the GOP strategy will pay off or backfire spectacularly.