Overview

• Texas Republicans pushed a new congressional map through the legislature, positioned to add up to five GOP seats once Gov. Greg Abbott signs it, following President Donald Trump’s call for more Texas districts.
• California scheduled a Nov. 4 special election, Proposition 50, to let voters decide on a Democratic map expected to flip roughly five seats, with vote‑by‑mail ballots slated to go out Oct. 6.
• Democrats say they will sue under the Voting Rights Act, citing concerns also flagged by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division about unlawful racial gerrymanders in Texas.
• Election handicappers say the GOP push raises the hurdle for Democrats but does not foreclose a House majority in 2026, with the balance partly hinging on the California vote.
• Funding battles are intensifying, with Charles Munger Jr. and Kevin McCarthy backing efforts to defeat Prop 50 as supporters report $9 million in small‑dollar donations, while Barack Obama backs Newsom’s approach and Arnold Schwarzenegger denounces gerrymanders.