Overview

• The Texas Legislature convened July 21 after Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session to redraw four districts flagged by the DOJ as unconstitutional coalition districts.
• President Trump urged state Republicans to reshape the map to flip up to five Democratic seats and shore up the GOP’s slim House majority.
• Texas Democratic lawmakers have threatened a quorum-denying walkout in an effort to block the mid-decade redistricting vote.
• National Democratic figures including Beto O’Rourke and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are coordinating plans for reciprocal map redraws in blue states.
• Civil rights groups and legal analysts warn that aggressive mid-cycle redistricting could breach the Voting Rights Act and spark new lawsuits.