Texas Republicans scored a major political win this week, pushing through a redistricting plan that could secure up to five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House by the 2026 midterm elections.

The Texas House approved the new maps on an 88-52 party-line vote, following a special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. Alongside the redistricting effort, lawmakers also considered measures on issues such as flood relief.

Democrats, however, attempted to stall the process. Earlier this month, they fled Texas to block a quorum, retreating to left-leaning strongholds like Illinois and Massachusetts in a bid to derail the GOP’s plans. In response, Republican lawmakers passed a resolution calling for the arrest of the absent Democrats, underscoring the seriousness of their obstruction.

Currently, Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats. If the redistricting plan holds, that number could grow to 30, dramatically strengthening GOP influence from the Lone Star State, according to Fox News.

The move mirrors what Democrats have already done in blue states. For example, New York Democrats forced through a new congressional map after Republicans gained ground in the 2022 midterms, reducing GOP representation in the state from 11 seats down to just seven, according to the New York Post. That aggressive mid-decade gerrymandering was one of the key reasons Republicans won only a razor-thin House majority last November.

Republicans argue that Texas’ new map simply levels the playing field. They point to long-standing Democratic practices in states like California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, where left-wing lawmakers have drawn hyper-partisan maps to cement their own power.

The Associated Press noted that the Texas Senate—controlled by Republicans—will now take up the measure before sending it to Gov. Abbott for final approval.