Texas House Republicans have unveiled a plan to redraw the state’s congressional district map lines in a mid-decade effort to pad their narrow majority ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The new maps would create opportunities for Republicans to add as many as five seats currently held by Democrats to the 25 seats Republicans already control. Those five seats — in the Rio Grande Valley, the Dallas metroplex and between San Antonio and Austin — would all be redrawn to create districts President Trump would have carried by double-digit margins.
Details of the new map lines were first reported by Punchbowl News.
In the Rio Grande Valley, Republicans propose to redraw districts held by Reps. Henry Cuellar (D) and Vicente Gonzalez (D). Cuellar won re-election in his district by only 5 percentage points in 2024; Gonzalez won re-election by just 2.5 points.
The GOP plan lumps Rep. Julie Johnson (D) into a neighboring district with Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R) in the Dallas area, and Rep. Marc Veasey (D) into a district currently held by Rep. Roger Williams (R). All four won easy re-elections in 2024, but the new districts would be heavily tilted toward Republicans.
The maps also lump two Democrats in fast-growing central Texas. Reps. Greg Casar (D) and Lloyd Doggett (D) would likely face off for a district that blends Casar’s San Antonio-to-Austin district with Doggett’s Austin-based seat.
The maps come after the House Committee on Congressional Redistricting held three meetings around the state. The committee will meet again Friday, the first time the proposal will get a public hearing.
Thousands of Texans have submitted written testimony, the vast majority of whom oppose new plans.
“This act is in direct violation of voter rights. It is a strong reminder that politicians are elected BY the people, not the immoral act of silencing votes through gerrymandering and picking your voters,” wrote James Matthew Escano, a Fort Worth resident.
“Texas needs fair representation, not partisan manipulation,” wrote Anita Quinones, another Fort Worth resident.
At least some residents said they backed the plan to redraw maps.
“This is a Republican state. Other states have redistricted their congressional districts to give Democrats the advantage. We need to give Republicans the advantage in this state,” wrote Orlando Sims, a Corpus Christi resident. “This is legal, constitutional, and the right thing to do considering the 2024 election,” wrote Linda Ricks, a Midlothian resident.
Redrawing congressional district lines in the middle of a decade, after the decennial Census, is relatively uncommon across the country — but not in Texas, where redistricting fights are more common.
In 2003, Texas lawmakers redrew congressional district map lines at the behest of then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R). Republicans picked up five seats in Congress, while a sixth lawmaker — then-Rep. Ralph Hall (R) — changed his party affiliation to caucus with Republicans.
That year, Democrats walked out of the special session called to redraw maps. Legislators decamped to a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Okla., to avoid the reach of Texas state troopers sent to bring them back. Their absence robbed House Republicans of the quorum they need to operate.
Eighteen years later, in 2021, House Democrats again fled the state to block Republicans from approving new voting laws that Democrats said would make it more difficult for minority voters to cast their ballots.
Texas House Democrats have hinted that another walkout is on the table. Party leaders have met in recent weeks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in Sacramento, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) in Santa Fe and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) in Chicago.
Democrats are soliciting contributions from wealthy donors and members of Congress who could foot what would be a costly bill as they consider another quorum break. House Republicans approved new rules after the 2021 walkout that would fine absent members $500 per day. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) has said she will use some of her $3.7 million in campaign funds to cover costs.