Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will sign the redistricting bill that the state legislature is ready to pass. File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo
Texas state House Republicans passed their redistricting bill Wednesday, despite staunch opposition from Democrats who describe the new maps as a power grab by President Donald ahead of next year’s midterm elections that whittles away the voting power of minorities.
Texas Republicans passed the bill 88 to 55 along party lines. The new maps are expected to give the state an extra five Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Congrats to the Texas House on passing the One Big Beautiful Map,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, while using language often employed by his Republican ally, Trump.
“It will make Texas, and Congress, a brighter shade of Red.”
Congressional maps are generally redrawn once a decade based on new Census Bureau data, with the next census scheduled for 2030. Democrats are accusing the Texas Republicans of redrawing their maps now under pressure from Trump to help ensure the GOP maintains its control of the U.S. House of Representatives, where it currently holds a narrow majority, following next year’s midterm elections. Republicans currently hold 25 of the state’s 38 seats in the federal chamber.
Because of their minority in the state House, Democrats had no way to block passage of the redistricting bills, but they attempted to delay the vote for as long as possible and make it as politically uncomfortable for the Republicans to pass.
Rep. Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader, proposed an amendment to condition redistricting on Attorney General Pam Bondi releasing all unclassified records and documents in the possession of federal authorities related to the investigation of former long-time Trump friend and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by apparent suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The amendment was turned aside.
“Texas Republicans just protected Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s secrets. Instead of demanding answers about Trump’s decades with Epstein — they engineered a coverup,” Texas House Democrats said in a statement.
“Remember this when they talk about protecting the innocent. When given the chance, they protected predators instead.”
The move is expected to set off something of a redistricting arms race, with California at the forefront, as Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has already initiated the redistricting process in order to neutralize the new five GOP Texas seats.
“It’s on, Texas,” Newsom said in a statement following the vote.
Other strong blue states, including New York, may follow.
“Game on,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul replied online to news of the Texas maps passing.
Abbott called a special session earlier this summer to specifically pass the redistricting maps, prompting Democrats two weeks ago to flee the state, denying the GOP quorum, meaning the minimum number of legislators needed to pass bills. Once the session timed out, and Abbott called a new special session, Democrats returned to the state and a new battle ensued.
Once Democrats came back to the capitol in Austin, they were not allowed to leave the chamber without a “permission slip,” a police escort and 24-hour surveillance to ensure they don’t leave the state again.
One lawmaker, Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, spent Monday night in the capitol building, refusing to sign the paper. She said she planned to stay until Wednesday’s session. Since then, several other Democrats tore up their waivers and joined her.
“This is a civil discussion and disagreement, and in order to win, the other side is willing to use force — to use the arms of a state to get what they want. Good guys don’t do that,” Texas House Democratic Caucus leader Rep. Gene Wu, told CNN.
Wu and Rep. Vince Perez, D-El Paso, who signed the waivers, stayed with Collier through Monday night.
The new state map introduced last month has been revised. It would still add the five seats but also strengthen already-Republican districts by adding Republican voters to those districts. The state’s current districts, passed four years ago, are already being challenged in court, and a ruling is expected this fall.
“Please pass this map ASAP,” Trump posted on social media Monday. “Thank you, Texas!”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which has been railing against the maps, chastised the state’s Republicans for being concerned with redistricting when they haven’t passed any bills to help those affected by last month’s flooding, which hilled more than 135 people.
“Before passing any disaster relief, Gov. Abbott and his legislative allies redrew voting maps behind closed doors to further disenfranchise Black, Brown and Asian American voters,” ACLU of Texas Executive Director Oni Blair said in a statement.
“It’s disgraceful that Texas lawmakers chose to advance President Trump’s extreme agenda while turning their backs on the thousands of families still reeling from one of the deadliest floods in state history. Every Texan deserves fair representation — because in a democracy voters pick their leaders, not the other way around.”
Following the vote, Abbott said he is expanding the special session to pass legislation that would impose penalties on absent legislators.
“We will not allow the Texas Legislature to be hijacked by rogue Democrats,” he said in a statement.
