Overview

• House and Senate committees have convened public hearings on a GOP-drafted congressional map that would shift Texas’s delegation from 25–13 Republican to 30–8 in favor of the party.
• Gov. Greg Abbott’s special 30-day session must conclude by August 19, driving Republicans to secure approval of the new lines before the deadline.
• Texas Democrats are preparing quorum-denying walkouts and legal challenges, citing a July Justice Department ruling that found four districts unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.
• Blue-state governors including Gavin Newsom are exploring tit-for-tat redistricting measures in California and elsewhere to counteract Texas’s effort.
• The outcome of the special session will influence control of the narrowly divided U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.