A newly proposed midterm redistricting map in Texas threatens to derail Democratic efforts to retake control of the U.S. House in 2026.
State lawmakers unveiled the map on Wednesday, projecting the addition of up to five solidly Republican seats to Texas’s congressional delegation. The Texas House and Senate are expected to vote on the proposal soon, after which it would head to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval if the state Legislature approves the map.
Highlighting the political stakes, some Democratic lawmakers have floated the idea of fleeing the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass the bill—a tactic previously used during past redistricting battles. While no such walkout has occurred yet, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is reportedly en route to Austin to strategize with Texas Democrats.
“This is a moment that requires a forceful on-the-ground response, and that is why I am traveling to Texas to convene with members of the Texas House and Senate delegations as well as our Democratic members representing Texas [in Congress],” Jeffries said in a statement to Politico, which many took as a thinly-veiled call for violence.
The proposed redistricting map adds five new congressional districts that President Donald Trump won by at least 10 points in 2024, effectively locking them in as Republican strongholds. This shift would expand the state’s congressional delegation to 30 Republicans and just eight Democrats—up from the current split of 25 to 12—making it exceedingly difficult for Democrats to regain ground unless there’s an unprecedented collapse in GOP support among Texas voters.
According to Punchbowl News, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) would have carried all five of the new districts in his last election, while Governor Greg Abbott would have carried four.
Quantus Insights—the most accurate polling firm of the 2024 cycle—released a forecast Wednesday projecting that if the map is enacted, the number of “safe” GOP seats in the U.S. House would rise from 212 to 217, further solidifying Republican control.
