Texas GOP Redistricting Plan Backed by Trump
Texas Republicans Push Rare Mid-Decade Redistricting Backed by Trump
AUSTIN – Texas Republicans, who have held power in the state for more than 20 years, are pushing through an unusual mid-decade redistricting plan at the urging of President Donald Trump. The move is aimed at boosting the party’s chances of holding on to its slim U.S. House majority in the face of political challenges.
The new map is expected to pass the Texas House with a simple majority, but lawmakers will still need to reconcile it with the Senate version. The plan has already ignited a national battle over redistricting, with governors from both parties signaling they may take similar steps in their states.
In California, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is backing an effort to redraw districts to flip five Republican-held seats. While California remains the most populous state in the nation, Republican-controlled Texas ranks second. The proposed Texas map would pack conservative voters into Democratic-held districts and merge some districts currently represented by Democrats.
Other Republican-led states — including Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri — are considering similar measures, while Democratic-leaning states like Maryland and Illinois are also moving forward with their redistricting efforts.
Redistricting typically follows the U.S. Census every 10 years, but mid-decade changes are rare. Critics say such moves are designed to secure partisan advantage through gerrymandering.
On Wednesday, Texas Democrats raised sharp objections, slowing debate on the bill. Representative Chris Turner introduced an amendment to block the plan, calling the proposal an “illegal and racially discriminatory congressional map.” The amendment failed.
“This body has no business passing it,” Turner said on the House floor. “This is unprecedented, and it is wrong.”
Republicans countered that the map is designed to improve their party’s performance and create more majority-Hispanic districts.
The fight comes just weeks after Democrats staged a dramatic walkout, leaving the state to block an earlier vote. Republican leaders responded with lawsuits, arrest warrants, and even police monitoring to ensure lawmakers did not flee again. One Democrat, Nicole Collier, chose to sleep inside the Capitol rather than risk a police escort.
Trump and Texas Republicans have openly admitted that the redistricting effort is intended to strengthen their political hold. Currently, the GOP controls 25 of Texas’s 38 congressional districts under a map passed four years ago.
Civil rights groups and Democrats argue the new plan would weaken the voting power of minority communities in violation of federal law. They have vowed to challenge it in court.
Nationally, Republicans hold the 435-seat U.S. House by just three seats. Historically, the president’s party tends to lose ground in the first midterm elections, and Trump’s approval ratings have declined since he entered office in January.
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