Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a sweeping new congressional map into law Friday, delivering Republicans a boost ahead of the 2026 midterms by creating five additional GOP-leaning House districts.
“Today, I signed the One Big Beautiful Map into law,” Abbott posted on X.
“This map ensures fairer representation in Congress.
“Texas will be more RED in Congress.”
The move caps off weeks of partisan drama that saw Texas Democrats flee the state in an attempt to block the measure.
However, the runaway lawmakers eventually returned once California Democrats advanced their own counter-map designed to add five Democrat-leaning seats.
Republicans in Austin made no secret of their goal.
“This map should elect more Republicans to the U.S. Congress,” said state Sen. Phil King (R), who carried the legislation in the Senate.
“But I’m here to tell you, there are no guarantees.”
Rep. Todd Hunter (R), who drafted the bill, defended the new boundaries against Democratic claims of discrimination, noting that four of the five new districts are majority-Hispanic,” Hunter said.
“The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward — improve Republican political performance.”
Texas Democrats responded by blasting the map as illegal and racially discriminatory.
“This isn’t over — we’ll see these clowns in court,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said.
Scudder accused Republicans of “surrendering Texas to Washington, D.C.”
Democrats had earlier staged a dramatic walkout, breaking quorum by fleeing to other states.
That stunt drew national media attention and donor support from left-wing groups linked to George Soros and Beto O’Rourke.
But the blockade collapsed after Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats unveiled their own proposed map to blunt the Texas GOP’s advantage.
Abbott and Republican leaders moved quickly once Democrats returned.
They shot down more than a dozen Democrat amendments before passing the map through both chambers.
Abbott’s push for the redistricting plan was aimed squarely at reinforcing President Donald Trump’s agenda and preventing a repeat of 2018.
Following the 2018 midterms, Democrats flipped the House and obstructed his first-term agenda.
Republicans currently hold the majority and have already passed Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in Congress, enacting sweeping immigration reforms, green energy rollbacks, and tax cuts.
Democrats are targeting those same measures for 2026 campaign fodder, particularly the Medicaid provisions.
Losing the House majority next year could once again stymie Trump’s legislative priorities.
Abbott’s map seeks to ensure that doesn’t happen.
While Texas’ new map is now law, California Democrats’ rival plan remains uncertain.
Newsom has put the proposal on the November ballot, touting it as “direct democracy.”
He is urging voters to approve what he calls a way to “stop Donald Trump’s election rigging.”
If enacted, the two states’ dueling maps could effectively cancel each other out, leaving both parties to fight over swing districts in other parts of the country.
For now, Republicans in Texas have secured a major win.
The victory is one that could play a decisive role in keeping the House red and President Trump’s agenda moving forward.
READ MORE – Democrat Rep Al Green Pushed Out of Texas District by GOP’s New Map
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