Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that tackling redrawing the state's congressional maps would be part of an special legislative session later this summer as Republicans seek to hold on to their narrow U.S. House majority in next year's midterm elections.
Abbott said in a news release that the session, scheduled to begin July 21, would address 18 different policy items the Legislature didn’t get to during its regular session, which wrapped up last month. That list included: “Legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.”
The New York Times reported last month that members of President Donald Trump’s political operation had privately urged Texas Republicans to redraw their maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Republicans hold a slim 220-212 advantage in the House. And in Texas, they already control 25 of the 38 congressional districts. Padding the GOP’s majority by even just a few seats in Texas could complicate Democrats’ ability to take control of the House in 2026.
Trump carried two of the 13 Texas seats that Democrats hold, the South Texas districts of Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez. Cuellar’s district went to Trump by 7 points, while Gonzalez’s went to Trump by 4 points, according to analysis by NBC News’ Decision Desk. Cuellar won his seat by less than 6 points, while Gonzalez was victorious by less than 3 points, illustrating the slim margins at play in the region.
The redistricting process typically occurs at the start of each new decade, when new census data is available. Texas' maps, which were drawn in 2021, are still being fought over in court, with a lawsuit alleging they discriminate against Black and Latino voters.
Democrats were quick to criticize Texas Republicans' plans.
"While Texans battle tragic and deadly flooding, Governor Abbott and House Republicans are plotting a mid-decade gerrymander," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., posted on X ahead of Abbott's formal announcement. "They should be modernizing emergency response — not rigging maps."
Republicans control the governorship, the Legislature and the Supreme Court in Texas, which could ease their path to passing and implementing new maps.
Other items lawmakers will tackle during the special session include an array of measures related to the deadly flooding over the weekend in the state’s Hill Country region, which killed more than 100 people, such as flood warning systems and natural disaster preparation and relief funding.
“We delivered on historic legislation in the 89th Regular Legislative Session that will benefit Texans for generations to come,” Abbott said in a statement. “There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country. We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future.”
