In an effort to convert five Democrats’ control of the US House seats to Republicans, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill to redraw the state’s congressional maps at the president’s request.
Democrats’ fierce protests and the Texas map, which were created as part of the infamous mid-decade redistricting process, sparked gerrymandering tug-of-war for voters in various states across the nation.
After signing the bill with a marker, Abbott declared in a video clip on social media that “Texas is now more red in the United States Congress.”
Abbott and Republicans “effectively surrendered Texas to Washington” with the new map, according to the head of Texas’s Democratic Party.
State Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder said in a statement that they adore blatantly blatant about how “Texas Tough” they are, but when Donald Trump made one call, they bent over backwards and gave Texans precedence over his own. It’s pathetic, to be honest.
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the dean of the state’s congressional delegation, announced he would not run for reelection if the new map was put into effect in 2026. Rep. Greg Casar’s district would retake the place of another Democratic incumbent under the proposed map, causing Doggett’s district to overlap with his.
Following the signing, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has come to be a prominent opponent of Trump on redistricting and other issues, taunted Abbott on X as the president’s “#1 lapdog.”
Republicans have acknowledged that in the upcoming midterm elections, they will be able to maintain their slim majority in Texas by capturing more congressional seats. Similar actions are being considered in more states that are under Republican control.
Democrats are vying to oppose such actions in California and other states. A redistricting plan that Democrats hope will win five more congressional seats was approved last week by the California legislature.
Voters in November must approve the California plan. The Texas plan has been challenged in court, but it does not require voter approval.
After more than 50 Democratic state House members staged a walkout that denied Republicans the required legislative quorum, the Texas bill was delayed for two weeks.
Democrats claimed that the new Texas map enacted discriminatory laws based on race and diluted Hispanic and Black voting rights.
Republicans in Texas who supported the bill claimed that they changed the map’s design to reflect voter intent rather than race.
