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CBS News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Texas Democrats visiting California and Illinois as redistricting fight continues
With little say in the ongoing debate over redrawing congressional districts in their home state, Texas Democratic state legislators are looking beyond their borders for help. Separate delegations of Texas Democrats are flying Friday to Sacramento to meet with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Chicago to see Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The move comes as legislators are holding a series of public hearings through early next week to discuss the proposed changes to congressional boundaries, exchanges that have led to shouting matches and at least one witness being removed from a hearing Thursday night in Austin. "Since Governor Abbott is acting like a child, we are going to find adults to go talk to," Democratic State Rep. Gene Wu, from the Houston area, said in a statement announcing the trip. Wu is leading the delegation of lawmakers visiting Pritzker. Pritzker's office said Friday he plans to meet with the legislators "about the Republican attacks to rig elections." But nothing in Texas state law bars legislators from redrawing lines in between censuses, and President Trump has asked Lone Star State Republicans to use their complete control of government to rearrange congressional district boundaries in hopes of winning up to five more seats across the state in next year's elections. Doing so would help pad House Republicans' two-seat majority as they face historic midterm headwinds. Texas Republicans last used their total statewide power during George W. Bush's administration to increase GOP numbers in the state congressional delegation. Abbott's decision to use a special legislative session called primarily to address the fallout of deadly floods in the state's Hill Country to pass changes to the state's congressional map drew swift rebukes from state and national Democrats. "There are dozens of dead kids and people are still missing from the Central Texas floods. But Donald Trump is focused on manipulating elections to help himself," State Rep. Rafael Anchia from Dallas said. He's leading the group visiting Newsom. A Newsom aide confirmed the governor will see the visiting Texans "to push back on Trump and Texas Republicans' power grab." Members of California's Democratic congressional delegations are also expected to join the meeting virtually. State constitutional or legal restrictions make it harder for big-blue Democratic states like California, Illinois and New York to change their maps. On Thursday, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signaled she's going to at least explore ways to redistrict her state, suggesting GOP-controlled states are breaking the law — but she didn't specify which ones. "All's fair in love and war. We're following the rules. We do redistricting every 10 years," Hochul said. "But if there's other states violating the rules and are trying to give themselves an advantage, all I'll say is, I'm going to look at it closely" with House Democratic leaders.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Texas Democrats to Confer With California and Illinois Governors on Redistricting
Democrats in the Texas House, struggling to beat back an aggressive Republican redistricting effort, traveled on Friday to meet with the Democratic governors of California and Illinois who have suggested they could redraw their own political maps to counter changes in Texas. More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers boarded flights early Friday and planned to talk to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois about the potential effects on their states of the redistricting of U.S. House seats in Texas, as well as what steps they might take to respond. 'We want the country to understand what's going on in Texas is a national battle,' said State Representative Richard Peña Raymond, a Democrat from Laredo who was part of the group heading to Chicago to meet with Mr. Pritzker. Mr. Raymond said he would stress to the Illinois governor that the redistricting is 'clearly aimed at affecting the entire country.' President Trump has been pushing Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional maps — a process that usually takes place only after the decennial census — to help preserve the party's majority in the U.S. House. He has suggested an additional five seats could be created for Republicans in Texas out of the state's 38 congressional districts. The party already holds 25 seats. The daylong trip was the most concrete step yet taken by Texas Democrats, who have been debating how to respond to the redistricting plan in a state where Republicans control the Legislature and all statewide offices. Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session of the Legislature to redraw the maps after private and public pressure from the White House. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Texas gop lawmakers lead summer sprint to redraw us house maps and address deadly floods
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Democrats appeared Monday for a special session but left open the possibility of walking out as a means to derail an unusual summer redrawing of US House maps that would help protect Republicans' slim majority in the 2026 elections. President Donald Trump wants Republicans in the coming weeks to engineer as many as five more winnable congressional districts in Texas–a high-risk, high-reward redraw that would put them on better footing before the midterm elections, when the party of the incumbent president often loses House seats. At the Texas Capitol, Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows gaveled in a 30-day session and appointed a committee to oversee what is already escalating into a contentious battle over the state's voting maps. Democrats promised to fight the redraw, but they are heavily outnumbered in the Texas Legislature, leaving them with few paths of resistance. 'Democrats are going to keep all options open and will do whatever is necessary to protect our communities,' said Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, the House Democratic leader. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott added redistricting to a lengthy agenda he gave to lawmakers in ordering them back to the Texas Capitol. That list includes addressing Texas' catastrophic floods that killed at least 135 people and has put Kerr County officials under scrutiny over why residents were not given more warning. Abbott, a three-term governor, cited constitutional concerns brought by the Justice Department for redrawing the maps, which is typically done once every 10 years. The letter claims four districts in the Houston and Dallas metro areas–key Democratic strongholds–were racially gerrymandered the last time the maps were drawn in 2021. During a debate to begin the redistricting process, Republican Sen. Phil King, who is chair of the committee, fielded queries from Democrats who questioned the purpose of creating new maps. 'The intent that we are here about today is to respond to the governor's call that we take up congressional redistricting in this special session,' he said. 'I have the highest level of confidence that we're not going to pass a bill out of the committee or off this floor that violates the Voting Rights Act.' Democratic party leaders on Monday identified filibusters or walking out–which would deny Republicans enough members for a quorum–as some of their limited options to block redistricting efforts, which they said will disenfranchise Democratic voters. Texas Democrats in 2021 gridlocked the state Capitol for 38 days by refusing to come to work in protest of proposed voting restrictions. When they returned, the measure passed. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to arrest those who attempt to walk out on top of the 500 a day fines lawmakers face for breaking a quorum. Andrew Mahaleris, an Abbott spokesperson, did not comment on redistricting in a statement Monday. 'While partisan activists focus solely on political issues, Governor Abbott is dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans, such as flood relief, property tax cuts, and the elimination of the STAAR test,' he said, referring to a standardized exam for Texas students. There are some concerns that rigging the map too much, known as gerrymandering, could backfire on Republicans. If too many Democratic voters are sifted into Republican districts, it could make them more competitive than they otherwise would be. The state is also tangled in litigation with civil rights groups who allege the maps were racially gerrymandered in 2021. Texas currently holds 38 seats in the House, of which 25 are held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats, while one seat remains vacant from the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner and will be filled in a special election later this year. Ohio Republicans are also considering redrawing their House maps, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom floated the idea of his state doing the same, although that authority rests with an independent commission rather than the legislature in the Democratic-controlled state.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Texas GOP lawmakers lead summer sprint to redraw US House maps and address deadly floods
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats showed up Monday for a special session but left open the possibility of walking out as a means to derail an unusual summer redrawing of U.S. House maps that would help protect Republicans' slim majority in the 2026 elections. President Donald Trump wants Republicans in the coming weeks to engineer as many as five more winnable congressional districts in Texas — a high-risk, high-reward redraw that would put them on better footing before the midterm elections, when the party of the incumbent president often loses House seats. At the Texas Capitol, Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows gaveled in a 30-day session and appointed a committee to oversee what is already escalating into a contentious battle over the state's voting maps. Democrats promised to fight the redraw but they are heavily outnumbered in the Texas Legislature, leaving them with few paths of resistance. 'Democrats are going to keep all options open and will do whatever is necessary to protect our communities,' said Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, the House Democratic leader. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott added redistricting to a lengthy agenda he gave to lawmakers in ordering them back to the Texas Capitol. That list includes addressing Texas' catastrophic floods that killed at least 135 people and has put Kerr County officials under scrutiny over why residents were not given more warning. Abbott, a three-term governor, cited 'constitutional concerns' brought by the Justice Department for redrawing the maps, which is typically done once every 10 years. The letter claims four districts in the Houston and Dallas metro areas, key Democratic strongholds, were racially gerrymandered the last time the maps were drawn in 2021. During a debate to begin the redistricting process, Republican Sen. Phil King, who is chair of the committee, fielded queries from Democrats who questioned the purpose of creating new maps. 'The intent that we are here about today is to respond to the governor's call that we take up congressional redistricting in this special session,' he said. 'I have the highest level of confidence that we're not going to pass a bill out of the committee or off this floor that violates the Voting Rights Act.' Democratic party leaders on Monday identified filibusters or walking out — which would deny Republicans enough members for a quorum — as some of their limited options to block redistricting efforts, which they said will disenfranchise Democratic voters. Texas Democrats in 2021 gridlocked the state Capitol for 38 days by refusing to come to work in protest of proposed voting restrictions. When they returned, the measure passed. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to arrest those who attempt to walk out on top of the $500 a day fines lawmakers face for breaking a quorum. Andrew Mahaleris, an Abbott spokesperson, did not comment on redistricting in a statement Monday. 'While partisan activists focus solely on political issues, Governor Abbott is dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans, such as flood relief, property tax cuts, and the elimination of the STAAR test,' he said, referring to a standardized exam for Texas students. There are some concerns that rigging the map too much, known as gerrymandering, could backfire on Republicans. If too many Democratic voters are sifted into Republican districts, it could make them more competitive than they otherwise would be. The state is also tangled in litigation with civil rights groups who allege the maps were racially gerrymandered in 2021. Texas currently holds 38 seats in the House, of which 25 are held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats, while one seat remains vacant from the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner and will be filled in a special election later this year. Ohio Republicans are also considering redrawing their House maps and California Gov. Gavin Newsom floated the idea of his state doing the same, although that authority rests with an independent commission, rather than the legislature, in the Democratic-controlled state. ___ Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jeffries says all options on the table as Democrats push back against redistricting
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As Texas Republicans are set to begin their effort to redraw the state's congressional maps, Texas Democrats said all options are on the table when deciding how to push back. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a media conference Tuesday, joined by senior members of House leadership and the Texas Democratic congressional delegation, answering questions about how Democrats may counter this effort to redistrict mid-decade. Jeffries made clear that this effort to redraw the maps amidst the state's recovery from devastating July Fourth weekend flooding, which killed over 130 people, is something Democrats should push back against 'aggressively.' 'Instead of addressing the serious crisis that has affected tens of thousands of lives in unthinkable Ways, Donald Trump, House Republicans here in Washington and Gov. Abbott are conspiring to rig the Texas congressional map as part of an effort to disenfranchise millions of people in Texas,' Jeffries said. The redistricting plan initially broke in June, after reports that President Donald Trump was pushing congressional Republicans to have the Texas Legislature redraw the state's districts. The move is intended to counter expected GOP losses in the 2026 midterm elections. Reports from after the news broke of a meeting at the White House said that GOP congressmen from Texas were reluctant to move forward. 'This was an order from Donald Trump. You didn't hear the people of Texas saying, 'Please redraw the maps, wanting to see big change,' especially right now, what you're seeing is Republicans scared that they're going to lose the majority,' said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, and chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Gov. Greg Abbott added redistricting to the special session agenda July 9, though no bills on the matter have yet been filed. New reporting from Punchbowl News Tuesday morning said Trump was reportedly pushing the GOP to draw five new Republican seats, which was corroborated by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin. The governor's office did not answer whether Abbott would move forward with that suggestion. 'While partisan activists focus solely on political issues, Gov. Abbott is dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans, such as flood relief, property tax cuts, and the elimination of the STAAR test,' Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said. Drawing five additional seats on top of the 25 Republicans already control would be a tall order. Republicans currently represent nearly two-thirds of Texas' congressional seats, despite Trump receiving just 56% of the vote in 2024. Five additional GOP districts would bring the share of seats Republicans control to nearly 80%. If Texas does draw those additional seats, it could potentially endanger Republican incumbents whose districts may become less Republican as the maps draw out Democrats. Michael Li, senior counsel in the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice, previously told KXAN this move might backfire if the GOP goes too far. 'The question really is … are [Republicans] really willing to have a much more competitive map for the rest of the decade,' Li said. DelBene said the DCCC will go after GOP incumbents who might become vulnerable under new maps. 'This scheme to rig the maps is hardly going to shore up their majority; it's going to expand the battleground in the race for the majority,' DelBene said. 'Make no mistake, the DCCC will recruit aggressively to unseat any and all newly vulnerable Texas Republicans that go along with this corrupt ploy.' But before Democrats let new maps take effect, they are reportedly considering options to stop the Republican redistricting plan. The Quorum Report reported Tuesday that Jeffries was encouraging Democrats to flee the state and break quorum, preventing the legislature from meeting and passing new maps. Democrats did so back in 2003, when Republicans last redrew the maps mid-decade. Attorney General Ken Paxton posted to X Tuesday, saying Democratic lawmakers who fled the state should be arrested. 'If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go,' Paxton wrote. 'My office stands ready to assist local, state and federal authorities in hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office and their constituents for cheap political theater.' One other possible hurdle for new maps is legal challenges. Most of the Democratic seats that could be redrawn are in Black or Latino communities, and breaking up those districts could violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965, leaving the maps tied up in court. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, and chair of the Texas Democratic delegation, said Democrats will bring legal challenges to new maps. 'We will fight this redistricting effort in every way we can,' Fletcher said. 'We will fight it in the halls of Congress … we will fight this in the courts as we can and we will fight it in our communities across Texas.' One other way Democrats could counter attempts to redraw maps in Texas is by redrawing maps in large states of their own, like New York or California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has floated the idea in recent days, even suggesting in a post on X Tuesday that he could move forward with the plan, replying 'Two can play this game' to the Punchbowl News report. Jeffries would not comment on suggestions to redraw maps in those states, saying he would leave it up to their governors. 'With respect to what happens in other states, I think that I'll let Gov. Gavin Newsom, Gov. Hochul and others continue to speak for themselves on this issue,' Jeffries said. 'Stay tuned.' It is not immediately clear how California would redraw its maps mid-decade. The state is only allowed to draw maps every 10 years, after the Census is released, and they are drawn by a bipartisan independent commission. New York also has a commission draw its maps, and they were already redrawn mid-decade, ahead of the 2024 election. The legislature could order the commission to redraw the maps at any time, however. But as national Democrats encourage partisan gerrymandering on their side in response, Texas Democrats maintained that they care about fairness. 'I won't be asking them to protect my seat, nor should any member of this delegation,' Doggett said. 'What we will be doing is asking them to protect democracy, because that's what's at stake.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
