Overview

• Governor Greg Abbott convened a special session on July 21 after the Justice Department flagged unconstitutional racial gerrymandering in Texas’s districts.
• Democrats in Texas have warned they will stage quorum-busting walkouts and file Voting Rights Act lawsuits to block the GOP-backed maps.
• Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke urged Democrats to “meet fire with fire” by launching their own mid-cycle redistricting offensives.
• California Governor Gavin Newsom is considering measures to override or repeal the state’s independent redistricting commission but faces bipartisan skepticism and legal uncertainty.
• Demographers project Texas could gain up to four U.S. House seats by 2032 while California may lose a similar number due to population shifts.