Texas Approves Trump-Backed Map

Texas lawmakers have approved a new congressional map backed by Donald Trump, clearing the way for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to sign it into law. The plan, passed after weeks of partisan clashes and a dramatic Democratic walkout, adds five GOP-leaning districts and is designed to help Republicans protect their slim U.S. House majority heading into 2026. Democrats and voting rights groups blasted the move as an unconstitutional power grab, warning that the map weakens the influence of Black and Latino voters. Lawsuits are already in motion to try and block it.

The battle in Texas has quickly become part of a larger national redistricting war. Trump has urged other Republican-led states to follow Texas’s lead, while California Democrats have advanced their own plan to add up to five blue seats in response. With Republicans currently holding a narrow 219–212 edge in the House, even small shifts in district lines could determine which party controls Congress in 2027. For Trump, the stakes are especially high — securing the House would give him a clear path for his agenda and shield him from investigations if he returns to the White House.

Source: The Washington Post