The Texas Senate approved the “Big Beautiful Map” shortly after midnight on Saturday in a party-line vote. The move came after Republican senators used a parliamentary procedure to block a planned filibuster by Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston).
The Texas Senate voted 18–11 early Saturday to approve legislation authorizing a new mid-census congressional redistricting map. The vote was held at 12:30 a.m. after more than eight hours of debate.
Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) had announced plans to filibuster the measure and extend the debate into Saturday, but her effort was cut short when the Senate Republican Caucus argued she intended to use the filibuster as a fundraising tool.
The new map, backed by Republicans, redraws several districts in ways expected to strengthen GOP advantages in key areas. Supporters of the plan said it reflects population changes and ensures fairer representation. Democrats countered that the map dilutes minority voting power and undermines competitive districts, continuing a pattern of partisan gerrymandering in the state.
In a letter to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R), Alvarado described the bill as an “extraordinary attempt to redraw the lines in the middle of the decade.” She said the bill would create a “dangerous precedent where politicians could redraw maps to pick their voters before every election.” She added: “I intend to use every procedural tool available under Senate rules” to oppose the bill.
Her plans ended abruptly after Republicans pointed to an Alvarado campaign email that promoted her planned filibuster as a fundraising opportunity, the Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement Saturday morning.
The Republican senators said Alvarado’s campaign email violated the “long-standing traditions, ethics, and decorum of the Texas Senate.” The senators seized the opportunity to exercise a parliamentary procedure by “calling the question,” forcing a vote on the measure.
