Texas Governor Eyes Redrawing State’s Congressional Map

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that he wants the state Legislature to redraw its congressional districts—a move that could help save Republicans’ House majority in 2026.

Abbott released a legislative agenda for a special session of the state Legislature set to begin July 21. 

In addition to asking the Legislature to respond to the devastation from flash flooding in Texas’ Hill Country, Abbott proposes legislation that “provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Abbott likely was referring to a letter from Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, in which she alleged “unconstitutional racial gerrymanders” in four urban, Democrat-controlled districts.

The districts in question are Rep. Al Green’s 9th Congressional District, the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s vacant 18th, Rep. Sylvia Garcia’s 29th, and Rep. Marc Veasey’s 33rd.

All are either in the Houston or Dallas areas and comprise serpentine shapes that creep around specific neighborhoods and streets.

A redrawn map could have the potential to boot two Democrats in Trump-won districts out of Washington—Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez. 

Given the historical pattern of the party in the White House losing House seats in the midterms, a more favorable Texas map could help Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., hold on to his gavel.

The New York Times reported, based largely on anonymous sources in June, that the White House was encouraging a redrawn congressional map in order to maintain the Republican House majority.

Texas previously redrew its congressional map in 2021 after the 2020 census, which resulted in the booming state getting two additional House seats. 

The 2021 map preceded the arrival of Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt in Congress, while also concentrating Austin-area Democrats into the new 37th Congressional District, which Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett now represents.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who could lose his best shot at becoming speaker if the Texan map is drawn to Republicans’ favor, expressed his displeasure with Abbott’s proposal in a Thursday statement.

“Gov. Abbott and his shameless extremists are conspiring with Donald Trump and House Republicans to try to rig and disenfranchise millions of voters,” he wrote.