Overview

• An 18-11 party-line vote in the Texas Senate finalized the Republican-drawn congressional map after the House passed it 88-52, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott.
• Abbott said he will swiftly sign the bill, which President Donald Trump urged and which is designed to position Republicans to gain as many as five U.S. House seats in 2026.
• Democrats plan immediate lawsuits alleging Voting Rights Act violations and minority vote dilution under the new lines.
• A two-week Democratic walkout in the Texas House delayed the process, and a planned Senate filibuster by Sen. Carol Alvarado was blocked after Republicans cited a rules violation tied to a fundraising email.
• The Texas move has accelerated a mid-decade redistricting fight nationwide, with California placing a countermap on the Nov. 4 ballot and other states signaling potential revisions as the battle for House control intensifies.