Texas Republicans on Tuesday launched a proposed new congressional map that would oust as many as 5 Democrats from Congress—a determined ploy by the GOP to rig the 2026 midterm elections to stop the Home from turning blue.
President Donald Trump demanded that Texas redraw their map to assist Republicans gerrymander their approach to victory, amid fears that voter backlash to his unpopular agenda would trigger the GOP to lose its Home majority. If Democrats had been to retake the chamber, it might successfully finish Trump’s legislative priorities and pave the best way for congressional probes into his corrupt conduct.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has now heeded that demand. Earlier in July, he referred to as for a particular session for the Republican-controlled legislature to cross a brand new congressional map that may make districts so GOP heavy that Democrats don’t have any likelihood at successful them.
Democrats have slammed Republicans’ overt effort to rig the midterms, and say they’re engaged on plans to retaliate in type.
“Donald Trump asks for five seats and Greg Abbott robotically bends the knee. The 2026 election is being rigged. California gained’t sit again and watch this occur,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California wrote in a put up on X, referring to his thought to droop California’s unbiased redistricting fee and redraw the maps in a means that squeezes out extra Democratic seats.
Key gamers within the state say they assist that effort, to keep away from having to combat for management of Congress with one hand tied behind their backs.
“I stand by the work of the fee after all. We drew honest and aggressive maps that totally abided by federal legal guidelines across the Voting Rights Act to make sure communities of colour have an equal alternative on the poll field,” Sara Sadhwani, a politics professor at Pomona Faculty and member of the state’s 2021 unbiased redistricting fee, instructed the Los Angeles Occasions. “That being stated, particularly with regards to Congress, most definitely California enjoying honest places Democrats at a drawback nationally.”
“I believe it’s patriotic to combat in opposition to what seems to be our democracy falling into what seems to be authoritarian rule,” she added.
Democrats in New York are additionally weighing a invoice to permit the state to redraw its map early. However NBC Information reported that the redraw would not take impact till after the 2026 midterms.
In the meantime, teams in Wisconsin have filed a number of lawsuits looking for to get the state’s present congressional map—wherein Republicans management six of the state’s eight seats—tossed out. Nevertheless, the state Supreme Courtroom declined to listen to two of these challenges.
The Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee, which seeks to elect Democrats to the Home, additionally stated it anticipates lawsuits to dam Texas’ map—if and when it’s handed by the Legislature.
“From the start of this damaged course of, Texas Republicans’ solely goal has been to observe orders from DC occasion bosses determined to attempt to save Home Republicans’ teetering majority,” DCCC Govt Director Julie Merz stated in an announcement. “We’re nonetheless evaluating the proposed map. At first look, Texas Republicans seem to have made what’s already one of many nation’s most racially discriminatory maps even worse. Ought to this map change into regulation, we anticipate Texas will get sued and the map will get struck down. Regardless, DCCC is able to recruit aggressively to unseat each single newly weak Republican who went together with this corrupt scheme.”
It’s unclear, nonetheless, if any of those efforts will work—or happen in time to counter Texas’ bare power-grab.
“Donald Trump is aware of he cannot win the midterm election honest and sq.. So he is attempting to rig the principles in Texas earlier than an election even occurs,” Rep. Greg Cesar, a Texas Democrat whose district can be redrawn by his state’s Republican majority, posted on social media Monday evening. “But when Trump’s insane redistricting plan succeeds in Texas, no state within the nation is secure.”
