Abbott Asks Lawmakers to Redraw Texas' Congressional Maps in Special Session

New York Times

10-07-2025

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called on lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional maps when they convene in a special session later this month, in a bid to gain Republican seats and help the party keep control of the House in 2026.
Mr. Abbott announced the request in a legislative agenda released on Wednesday. He also called on lawmakers to improve how the state prepares for and responds to floods, like the ones that ripped through Texas Hill Country last week and have killed more than 100 people.
President Trump's political team has pushed Texas to redraw its maps in hopes of creating new Republican seats. But the idea has not been well received across the current congressional delegation in the state, which The New York Times first reported last month.
Texas currently has 38 seats, 25 held by Republicans, 12 by Democrats and one vacancy in a solidly Democratic district. Current members of Congress would very likely see some of the Republican voters in their districts shifted to new districts.
In his call to draw new seats, Mr. Abbott's order cited 'constitutional concerns' that he said had been raised by the Justice Department about the existing lines.
In a letter to the governor on July 7, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general in the civil rights division of the Justice Department and a former Trump campaign lawyer, wrote that there had been 'unconstitutional racial gerrymanders' in Texas in four districts.
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