Texas House Approves New Electoral Map Creating 5 Republican House Seats
The Texas redistricting saga is winding to a close as state Republicans approved a new electoral map adding five new House seats in districts Trump won by double digits.
According to CBS News, House Bill 4 passed in the state House by an 88-52 vote. The bill will move to the state Senate, which already approved a similar measure last week. The bill is expected to advance quickly in the state Senate and be signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott by the end of the week.
The path to Texas’ new, gerrymandered map was fraught and filled with considerable pushback. Gov. Abbott ordered a rare, mid-decade redistricting effort at the behest of President Trump. The GOP holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, with Democrats only needing a net gain of three seats to flip control.
Gov. Abbott used the devastating floods that killed over 100 Texans over the Fourth of July weekend to call a special legislative session that would prioritize redistricting over flood relief. Texas Democrats used every tool at their disposal to combat the redistricting process, from filibustering to fleeing the state to prevent the state House from having the quorum necessary to vote on the map.
Gov. Abbott ordered the civil arrest of the Texas Democrats who left the state, and filed a lawsuit to remove state Rep. Gene Wu from his seat. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) even requested the FBI hunt down the Texas Democrats. The Texas Democrats returned to the state last weekend, having achieved their goal of making sure the first special session was a failure. Gov. Abbott immediately ordered a special session last weekend that began this week.
Texas Republicans were so adamant about passing this map that they held Rep. Nicole Collier as a political prisoner in the House chamber after she refused to sign a mandate placing her under police surveillance until a vote was held on the map. She was later joined by several other Texas Democrats who had previously signed their mandates, but ripped them up in protest of Collier’s treatment.
“Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!!” President Trump said in a Truth Social on Wednesday night. “Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself. Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing.”
For clarification, the “your” he’s referring to is exclusively sad, angry, thoroughly mediocre white folks who blame wokeness, DEI, and immigration for their problems. Couldn’t be me.
While the Texas redistricting saga has seemingly come to a close, the fight of the Texas Democrats has inspired other Democratic leaders to fight back against Republican gerrymandering. Former Attorney General Eric Holder met with U.S. House Democrats to discuss strategy on combating Republican gerrymandering efforts. California Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced the Election Rigging Response Act as a direct response to Texas’ map. Gov. Newsom previously said he would be willing to drop his redistricting effort if Texas dropped theirs. In response to the Texas House vote, Newsom simply tweeted, “It’s on, Texas.”
California will hold a special election on Nov. 4, where voters will determine whether control of California’s legislative maps will continue to rest with an independent redistricting committee or temporarily be controlled by the state legislature for the next five years. Should voters approve the measure, California will implement a map designed to neutralize the congressional gains of Texas’ map.
So while Texas Republicans may have gotten their way with this new map, it remains to be seen how much they will ultimately gain in the 2026 midterms.
SEE ALSO:
Texas Rep. Nicole Collier Being Held Hostage At State House
Texas Democrats Will Return To State After Special Session Ends
Eric Holder Strategizes Against Gerrymandering With House Democrats
Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Arrest Of Texas Democrats
Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom Counters Texas Redistricting Effort
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sues To Remove Democratic Rep In Redistricting Fight
Texas Creates 5 New House Seats In Areas Trump Won In 2024
Texas Dems Fight Redistricting Effort Through Filibusters
Texas State Dems Break Quorum To Prevent Redistricting Vote
US Senator John Cornyn, FBI Team Up To Hunt Texas Democrats
Critics Call Texas Governor’s New Congressional Map Gerrymandering
Video: Black Congressional Candidate Arrested For Protesting Against Racist Gerrymandering In Texas