The Texas state Senate early Saturday signed off on a new congressional map, sending the legislation to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to sign into law ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The vote passed the upper chamber in a 18-11 party-line vote as expected, with Democrats denouncing the effort as a power grab. It came after the state House approved the map also in a party-line vote after Democratic members of the body returned to the state and ended a two-week standoff over the map proposal.
The Senate had already passed the new map proposal last week, but the body needed to approve it again because the first special legislative session that Abbott called ended. The Republican governor called a second session that began this week.
A key Senate panel in charge of overseeing redistricting approved the House-passed map earlier on Thursday, sending it to the full Senate.
Democrats were prepared to show resistance and push the vote into the early morning hours, as state Democratic Caucus chair Sen. Carol Alvarado (D) announced on social media that she would filibuster the bill. The Senate broke for a long break just as she planned to start and Republicans were able to block the planned speech, according to The Associated Press.
The new district lines are likely to add up to five additional U.S. House seats for Republicans in next year’s midterms.
Abbott is expected to sign the map into effect quickly, though court challenges are also likely to come soon after to try to stop it. Democrats have already vowed to appeal.
Texas Republicans’ actions have seemed to set off an arms race of sorts with multiple other Republican- and Democratic-led states seeking to also conduct redistricting and try to pick up seats. California lawmakers met this week to approve a ballot measure that would allow voters to weigh in on whether the state should redraw its lines to be in effect for the rest of the decade.
The Golden State Legislature formally approved the measure on Thursday and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the legislation not long after. The new map could also give Democrats up to five additional seats in the U.S. House.
Still, Republicans may have more opportunities to redistrict, with states like Florida and Missouri also looking at drawing new Congressional lines.
Steff Danielle Thomas contributed.
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