Abbott Signs New Texas Map To Boost GOP Seats Ahead Of Midterms
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a new congressional map on Friday, cementing Republican momentum heading into the 2026 midterm elections and giving President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) another significant victory in their fight to secure a lasting GOP majority in the House.
“Texas is now more red in the United States Congress,” Abbott declared in a celebratory video posted on X, according to The Washington Times.
The move marks a rare mid-decade redistricting, pushed forward by Trump and Texas Republican leadership, ensuring that the Lone Star State will remain a cornerstone of the conservative movement. While Democrats immediately erupted with outrage and voting rights groups rushed to file lawsuits, the Republican majority in Austin ensured the new lines would pass.
Democrats attempted to derail the process with a two-week walkout earlier this month, but Republican lawmakers pressed on, backed by a clear legislative majority and strong support from the state’s conservative base. Democrats accused Republicans of bowing to Trump, with Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder sneering:
“They love to boast about how ‘Texas Tough’ they are, but when Donald Trump made one call, they bent over backwards to prioritize his politics over Texans. Honestly, it’s pathetic.”
But despite their rhetoric, Democrats could not stop the inevitable.
The map has already begun reshaping the political battlefield. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the longest-serving Democrat in Texas, announced he would step aside if the new map takes effect. His Austin-based district is set to merge with that of fellow progressive Rep. Greg Casar, consolidating liberal strongholds and forcing Democrats to fight for survival.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California tried to counter Abbott’s move by mocking him as Trump’s “#1 lapdog” and pushing through Democratic-leaning districts in his own state to blunt Republican momentum.
The victory in Texas is already inspiring other Republican-led states to act. Trump met with Indiana GOP leaders in the Oval Office this week to discuss redrawing congressional maps. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has called a special session to advance similar efforts, and Ohio Republicans are expected to move soon.
Democrats in New York are scrambling to follow suit with legislation allowing mid-decade redistricting of their own, though their changes wouldn’t take effect until 2028.
Democrats and progressive activists have pinned their hopes on the courts, claiming the Texas plan violates the Voting Rights Act. Yet the Supreme Court has already ruled that partisan gerrymandering is constitutional, leaving Democrats with an uphill battle to prove racial discrimination — a claim Republicans flatly reject. GOP leaders argue the map actually increases the number of majority-minority districts while also ensuring fairer representation across Texas.
After their failed walkout, Democrats returned to Texas under police monitoring, attempting to spin their defeat as a rallying cry. Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu boasted to NBC News:
“We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation — reshaping the entire 2026 landscape.”
He added:
“We’re returning to Texas more dangerous to Republicans’ plans than when we left. Our return allows us to build the legal record necessary to defeat this racist map in court, take our message to communities across the state and country, and inspire how to fight these undemocratic redistricting schemes in their own statehouses.”
But with Republicans in firm control of Texas and President Trump’s influence spreading to GOP legislatures across the nation, Democrats face an uphill climb.