WASHINGTON – Former President Barack Obama jumped into the nation’s cross-country redistricting fight, calling Texas Republicans’ push to add five new GOP congressional seats “a power grab that undermines our democracy.”
Obama’s remarks, made in a statement posted Aug. 5 on X, come as President Donald Trump has pressured Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Republicans in the GOP-controlled Texas state legislature to approve new congressional maps to help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House during the 2026 midterm elections.
“We can’t lose focus on what matters – right now, Republicans in Texas are trying to gerrymander district lines to unfairly win five seats in next year’s midterm elections,” Obama said.
More: Trump says Republicans are ‘entitled’ to more congressional seats in Texas
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, has helped lead Democratic efforts to fight the proposed Texas maps. Holder called the effort “an authoritarian move” during an Aug. 3 appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
Redistricting is required by federal law every 10 years following the release of new U.S. Census Bureau figures; however, Trump pushed Texas Republicans to jumpstart the process in the middle of the decade. The president argued during an Aug. 5 appearance on CNBC that Republicans “are entitled to five more seats” in Texas because of his 2024 election victory in the state.
The 38-member Texas congressional delegation is currently comprised of 25 Republicans, 12 Democrats and there is one vacant seat that leans Democratic.
The new maps, advanced by a Texas legislative committee Aug. 2, create five new GOP-leaning districts and target Democratic incumbents, which would give Republicans in Congress more cushion to defend their slim House majority of 220-212.
Abbott this week ordered Texas law enforcement to arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to prevent the legislature from having a quorum to block a vote on redistricting.
More: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders arrest of Democratic lawmakers who fled over redistricting
The plan has ignited a nasty and partisan tug-of-war with Democratic governors in Illinois, New York and California pledging to return the favor and redraw their congressional maps to add more Democratic districts.
In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed temporarily setting aside his state’s independent redistricting commission to create new Democratic-leaning congressional districts.
House Democrats in the California legislature took steps this week toward a plan that could create up to six new gerrymandered Democratic congressional seats to offset the redistricting in Texas. The California legislature is on track to vote on a redistricting proposal the week of Aug. 18, which would put the new maps before voters during a Nov. 4 special election.
Contributing: Phillip Bailey of USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Obama blasts Texas GOP redistricting plan as a ‘power grab’
