Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) on Friday gave final approval to legislation that redrew Texas’s political maps, offering Republicans a chance to gain five more House seats ahead of the 2026 elections.
The redistricting plans favoring the GOP sparked outrage from state Democrats, who fled the state for weeks earlier this summer to stall the effort from moving forward in the Republican-dominated legislature.
Despite the largely symbolic opposition, the legislation made it through both chambers, with Abbott announcing over the weekend that he had signed the “One Big Beautiful Map into law.” The map drawn up under House Bill 4 “ensures fairer representation in Congress,” the governor said, writing in a post to social media that it would make Texas “more red” in Congress.
The developments in Texas are a bright spot for the GOP ahead of the midterms, which could bring losses for Republicans given historical precedent. The redistricting chances are likely to increase the Republican Party’s presence in the House by up to five seats, a small but critical boost given the GOP’s slim majority in the lower chamber.
In retaliation against Texas, Democratic-led states, most prominently California, have pursued similar efforts to redraw districts favoring Democrats.
Democratic affiliates in the Lone Star state have already filed lawsuits challenging the legality of redistricting efforts, which the Texas Senate sent to Abbott’s desk after lawmakers gave final approval to the legislation on August 23.
Critics allege that the newly drawn maps, which are looking to give Republicans an advantage in El Paso, the Houston metro area, Dallas, Austin, and the Rio Grande Valley, are racially discriminatory.
“This isn’t over — we’ll see these clowns in court,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said in response to Abbott signing House Bill 4 into law. “We aren’t done fighting against these racially discriminatory maps, and fully expect the letter of the law to prevail over these sycophantic Republican politicians who think the rules don’t apply to them.”
Proponents allege the claims are based on lies. During debate on the bill earlier this month, State Rep. Todd Hunter, who wrote the legislation for the new map, argued that four of the five new districts now trending Republican are “majority-minority Hispanic,” a demographic that saw large shifts toward the GOP during the 2024 elections.
The redistricting “doesn’t guarantee electoral success, but it does allow Republicans to compete in these districts,” Hunter said.
NEWSOM SIGNS REDISTRICTING BILLS, TAKES FIGHT OVER CONGRESSIONAL MAP TO VOTERS
The new districts are Houston’s ninth Congressional District, Rio Grande Valley’s 28th Congressional District, Dallas’s 32nd Congressional District, Coastal Bend’s 34th Congressional District, and San Antonio’s 35th Congressional District.
The new maps have already sparked political upheaval, as Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) announced he would forgo a reelection in the 37th Congressional District after Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) said he would run in the newly drawn district.