A Texas House committee has moved forward with a new congressional map aimed at solidifying Republican control, aligning with a broader strategy supported by President Donald Trump to help the GOP maintain its House majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposed map, introduced earlier this week, seeks to make five Democratic-held seats more favorable to Republicans. GOP lawmakers argue the changes are needed to address what they claim are unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered boundaries. Democrats, however, say the revisions would suppress minority voter influence.
On Saturday, the Texas House redistricting committee voted along party lines to approve the plan, clearing the way for a full House vote.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder warned that legal action would follow if the map passes, accusing Republicans of “silencing voters on behalf of Donald Trump.”
“Democrats must fight this Trump power grab through any means necessary, and blue states across the country should use this as a signal flare to start carving up their own states and make these authoritarian wannabe Republican lawmakers regret ever opening up this redistricting discussion in the first place,” Scudder said.
Democratic governors in several states, including California, have already indicated they may adopt similar tactics to secure more seats for their party—what one Democratic lawmaker described to CNN as a “redistricting arms race.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his allies are reportedly weighing redistricting strategies in California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Washington, with the aim of flipping Republican-held districts. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to retake the House.
Under the new Texas map, 30 congressional districts would have been won by Trump in 2024, compared to 27 under the current boundaries. Of those, five would have seen Trump win by more than 10 percentage points, according to the Texas Legislative Council.
One of the most notable changes would eliminate the Austin-area seat currently held by Rep. Greg Casar. He would likely face fellow Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett in a primary if the plan is enacted.
People close to Doggett told CNN they don’t expect him to back down easily, noting he has $6.2 million in campaign funds. While Doggett has not announced his next move, he said his “sole focus” is defeating the Republican-drawn map.
Casar vowed to challenge the proposal, calling on voters to mobilize against what he referred to as an “illegal map.”
Another major revision would merge the Houston-area district of Rep. Al Green with the seat formerly held by Rep. Sylvester Turner, who passed away earlier this year. Green’s district would be altered more than any other in the plan. While Green is expected to run in the redrawn district, he could face competition from other Democrats who had launched campaigns for the Turner seat.
The proposal also targets two South Texas seats held by Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, redrawing them to be more favorable to Republicans. Despite the changes, some Democrats believe both incumbents remain competitive given their moderate appeal and history of outperforming national Democrats in their districts.
President Trump has not yet commented publicly on the proposed map.
