Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Aug. 23 celebrated the state Legislature’s passage of a new congressional map drawn to favor Republicans, and vowed to quickly sign it into law.
The Republican-majority Texas Senate passed the new congressional map into law in a party-line vote in the early morning hours on Aug. 23. Texas’s Republican-majority House of Representatives had approved the redrawn map in an Aug. 20 vote.
“The One Big Beautiful Map has passed the Senate and is on its way to my desk, where it will be swiftly signed into law,” Abbott said in a statement on Aug. 23.
“I promised we would get this done, and delivered on that promise. I thank Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick for leading the passage in the Senate of a bill that ensures our maps reflect Texans’ voting preferences.”
The new congressional map could increase the Republican presence in the state’s U.S. House delegation by as many as five seats. Republicans currently control 25 of the state’s 38 House seats.
Texas Democrats have challenged the redistricting plan at multiple points along the way. The vote was delayed for two weeks by 50 Democrats in the state House of Representatives who held a walkout, preventing the chamber from achieving the quorum needed for it to conduct business.
Senate Democrats again delayed the bill’s passage during several hours of debate, questioning the legality of the newly proposed map, with many alleging that the redrawn districts violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting voters’ influence based on race.
Sen. Carol Alvarado, a Democrat, also sought to filibuster the Senate vote but was foiled as Republican Sen. Charles Perry argued that, because she had sent out a campaign email previewing her filibuster plans, she had positioned her filibuster as a campaign event that should not be allowed to take place on the Senate floor.
After airing his complaint, Perry moved for the Senate to vote on the legislation. Patrick rebuffed further challenges to Perry’s motion and proceeded to call the vote.
Reacting to the Texas redistricting push, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pressed for his state to redraw its own congressional map in favor of Democrats.
The map could see voters increase Democrats’ hold on California’s U.S. House delegation by as many as five seats, potentially counteracting the Texas redistricting push.
This battle over state congressional maps could prove decisive in the 2026 midterms. Republicans currently hold a narrow three-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
