Overview

• On July 21, Texas Republicans convened a special legislative session and held hearings through July 22 to pursue a mid-decade redraw aimed at adding up to five GOP-leaning districts.
• President Trump privately urged Texas lawmakers to overhaul the state’s congressional map, citing Department of Justice findings on racial gerrymandering as a basis for off-cycle changes.
• In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom floated a plan to override California’s voter-approved independent commission through a constitutional amendment or special election to pursue his own mid-cycle map shift.
• Newsom’s proposal drew bipartisan skepticism in Sacramento, with Democratic and Republican legislators warning it would betray voter mandates and face daunting procedural hurdles.
• Voting Rights Act advocates and redistricting experts caution that both state efforts could trigger protracted court battles over minority representation and the legality of off-decade boundary changes.