Overview

• Texas Democrats ended their two-week absence, restoring quorum for a second special legislative session to pursue mid-decade congressional maps.
• In Sacramento, Democratic lawmakers advanced a constitutional amendment to put DCCC-drawn maps on the Nov. 4 ballot, overriding the state’s independent commission through 2030.
• Both sides are preparing filing challenges in state and federal courts; Texas Democrats promise lawsuits against GOP maps, California Republicans lay plans for high-dollar campaigns to defeat the referendum.
• National party committees have launched rapid fundraising with expanded voter outreach, viewing modest seat changes in a few competitive districts as pivotal for the 2026 House majority.
• This escalating standoff features rare procedural tactics—quorum-denying walkouts in Texas plus a fast-tracked ballot measure in California—that are unusual steps in mid-decade redistricting.