Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that redrawing the state's congressional districts will be part of a special legislative session this summer in an effort for Republicans to hold on to their slim House majority in the 2026 midterm elections, according to NBC News. Republicans currently hold that majority with 220-212 seats.
The July 21st session is set to tackle “Legislation proposing a revised congressional redistricting plan in response to constitutional issues flagged by the U.S. Department of Justice.” According to the New York Times, Trump Administration operatives privately pushed Texas Republicans to redistrict. As Republicans hold 25 of 38 seats, a redistricting plan favoring GOP interests could seriously derail Democrats’ efforts to retake the House.
🚨 HUGE NEWS. Texas Governor Greg Abbott directs the legislature in a special session to run mid-decade REDISTRICTING…
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2025
…the goal is to pick up +2-4 Republican House seats for the midterms next year.
This, paired with Ohio doing the same, could stave off DEMOCRATS winning the… pic.twitter.com/8xhitCIAYd
President Trump won two of the Texas districts held by Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez in the 2024 Presidential election. Both Democrats won their seats by slim margins; Cuellar won his seat by less than six points, and Gonzalez won by less than three. These districts in particular will most likely be redrawn to favor Republican candidates.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is speaking out against the Texas Legislature's plan to redraw the congressional maps.
While Texans battle tragic and deadly flooding, Governor Abbott and House Republicans are plotting a mid-decade gerrymander.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@hakeemjeffries) July 9, 2025
They should be modernizing emergency response — not rigging maps.
Pass it on.https://t.co/obKbskKqqU
The redistricting process typically occurs at the start of each new decade, when maps can be drawn using new census data. However, no law prohibits the Texas Legislature from redrawing congressional or legislative district lines between censuses.
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