After a protracted day of debate, the Texas Home of Representatives handed a Republican-favored congressional map Wednesday night that might flip 5 districts purple by merging Democratic seats within the Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Value areas to kind new Republican-leaning seats and by making two Rio Grande Valley districts presently held by Democrats extra aggressive.
Districts presently held by Democratic Reps. Al Inexperienced, Marc Veasey, Julie Johnson, Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett are probably focused.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks throughout a information convention within the State Capitol, August 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Photographs
The vote got here weeks after state Democrats decried the unorthodox mid-decade redistricting as blatant gerrymandering to extend the variety of GOP congressional seats.
The brand new map doesn’t seem to considerably weaken any GOP-held seats however consultants have stated it will depend on the sturdiness of Hispanic assist for Republicans in 2024 to hold into subsequent 12 months’s midterms. The maps have gone via some small changes since being first launched in July.
It’s seemingly that the redistricting plan, which was pushed by President Donald Trump, will move. The map might move the state Senate as quickly as the top of the week and would then go to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.
Democrats are anticipated to problem the map in court docket and stated this week that they’re talking out on the ground of the Texas Home to construct a “authorized case”.
Home Democrats tried to stall deliberations for hours throughout Wednesday’s ground session earlier than the ultimate vote with varied lengthy shot modification proposals. Home Rep. Gene Wu proposed an modification to desk consideration of the maps till the Jeffrey Epstein recordsdata are launched by U.S. Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi, however Wu’s modification was dismissed as not germane to the matter at hand. Members additionally voted down an modification from Rep. Chris Turner to kill the invoice and a number of other others tried to get amendments to both desk or scuttle the maps, all to no avail.
Protesters cheer on Texas State Consultant Nicole Collier after she selected to stay within the Texas Home chamber on the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, August 18, 2025.
Nuri Vallbona/Reuters
The particular session was delayed after Democrats left the state to keep away from a quorum, regardless of threats of arrest from Gov. Greg Abbott and different Republican leaders.
Some Democrats returned to the statehouse on Monday and allowed the legislature to achieve a quorum, however they continued to talk out in opposition to the controversial redistricting.
Protesters shout in assist for State Rep. Nicole Collier, after she selected to stay within the Texas Home chamber on the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, August 19, 2025.
Nuri Vallbona/Reuters
A handful of Texas Home Democrats refused regulation enforcement escorts to make sure they would not go away the state once more. They stayed in a single day within the Texas Home in solidarity with state Rep. Nicole Collier, who had refused to signal a “permission slip” permitting her to go away the state Capitol with a regulation enforcement escort.
The Texas state Capitol additionally dealt with a social media menace Tuesday evening that led to the evacuation of grounds and the constructing, however Democratic lawmakers who had been already within the constructing remained inside.
Protesters collect within the rotunda outdoors the Home Chamber on the Texas Capitol as lawmakers debate a redrawn U.S. congressional map in Texas throughout a particular, Aug. 20, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
Eric Homosexual/AP
The invoice, which was newly filed for the second particular session after the primary one was adjourned because of not having a quorum, handed out of committee on Monday.
