Overview

• Dozens of Texas House Democrats ended a two-week walkout in Austin, restoring the quorum needed to conduct legislative business.
• With the quorum back, Republican lawmakers reopened a special session to pursue a mid-decade congressional map aimed at creating up to five new GOP-leaning seats.
• California’s Democratic supermajority approved DCCC-drafted maps and voted to place a rival redistricting plan on the Nov. 4 ballot to neutralize potential Republican gains.
• Both sides are preparing protracted legal fights, with Texas Democrats facing $500-per-day fines and Republicans having issued removal petitions and civil arrest warrants against absent members.
• Political analysts warn that even minor shifts in a handful of competitive districts in Texas and California could decide control of the narrowly divided U.S. House in 2026.