Governor Greg Abbot is trying to further gerrymander Texas while his state recovers from some of the deadliest flooding in its history.
On Wednesday, Abbot told state lawmakers to begin the redistricting process as he positions Republicans to maintain control of the House in 2026. This directive has come straight from President Trump, who is desperately urging states to find ways to create more Republican seats under the guise that the current maps are “unconstitutional.”
Abbot’s directive has drawn the ire of leaders across the state—as well as nationally.
“While Texans battle tragic and deadly flooding, Governor Abbott and House Republicans are plotting a mid-decade gerrymander,” Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote Wednesday on X. “They should be modernizing emergency response—not rigging maps.”
Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa described the move as a “blatant partisan power grab.”
“I’ve been disappointed in this governor before. But I’ve never been so thoroughly disgusted,” Hinojosa said. “The governor is so heartless as to do this right now?”
At least 120 people have been confirmed dead in the flash flooding, and at least 170 are still missing at the time of this writing. And while Republicans across the country chide Democrats, calling their legitimate questions around emergency response an attempt to “politicize” the situation, the governor himself is more concerned with politics as usual.
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