As Texas communities struggle to recover from catastrophic flooding, Republican leaders are plowing ahead with an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting effort—a move critics are calling a blatant power grab orchestrated by Donald Trump to rig congressional maps and save the GOP’s imperiled House majority.
“Let’s not allow the White House to put its arms into Texas and divide our community,” said Texas state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins at a heated and packed public hearing last Thursday.
Other sharp rebuke at the hearing came from Democrats, Texas residents and voting rights advocates who say the redistricting process is being driven not by population changes or community needs, but by partisan panic.
“This is an attempt to racially gerrymander our state,” said Texas state Rep. Jon Rosenthal at the hearing.
Why Now—and Why Texas?
“We are pretending that the governor did not approve the maps he is now requesting we change,” said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia. And she is right: Gov. Greg Abbott is now asking the legislature to revise the very maps he approved in 2021—maps that are still being challenged in federal court for allegedly diluting the voting power of communities of color.
But following a recent call from Trump to Abbott, redistricting was abruptly added to the agenda for the special legislative session that began last week in Austin.
“We’re here today playing political games to appease the felon in the White House,” Rep. Garcia said on Thursday.
Republicans are eyeing South and Central Texas districts represented by Democrats Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez and Greg Casar—areas where Trump has made inroads with Latino voters but where Democrats remain competitive. By slicing up these districts and redistributing Democratic voters into surrounding Republican districts, GOP strategists hope to turn the tide nationally.
But experts warn the plan could backfire. “If safe Republican districts in Texas are diluted with Democratic voters to build Republican districts elsewhere, then reliable seats could turn competitive for Republicans,” said Jon Taylor, political science chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
A National Power Play
Elections attorney Marc Elias warned that Texas is just the beginning: “Though right now all eyes are on Texas—where Gov. Greg Abbott and the Republican state legislature are trying to squeeze out another five congressional seats—if national Republicans have their way, this latest GOP gambit will not end in Texas.”
The redistricting push is part of a broader Republican strategy to claw back control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election.
Polling shows Republicans are on shaky ground with swing voters—particularly in states like Texas where the top concern is no longer immigration or border security, but political corruption and failed leadership.
Texas Republicans’ move underscores a dangerous loophole in U.S. law: While racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has so far refused to rule on partisan gerrymandering, effectively giving political parties a green light to redraw districts to benefit themselves. (To learn more about gerrymandering for party advantage, check out this Brennan Center explainer we cross-posted on Ms.)
The implications go beyond partisan balance. Civil rights experts warn that expanding Republican power in Congress will lead to more attacks on abortion access, LGBTQ rights, voting rights and racial justice.
“This is not just about maps—it’s about power,” said Dr. Ellen Katz, a law professor and redistricting expert, at Thursday’s hearing. “[The DOJ’s letter] is asking Texas to inject race-based considerations into a process that Ken Paxton said is race-neutral.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, whose own district may be dismantled, said lawmakers should be focused on helping communities recover from flooding, not redrawing political lines. “What I am here to ask that we continue to preserve and protect are these voting rights that so many fought and marched and bled for, including Dr. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.],” he said.
A DNC Pushback
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Monday it is launching a massive organizing effort in response. The campaign will deploy 30,000 volunteer organizers and has already sent over 250,000 text messages to mobilize Texas voters.
“The DNC is all hands on deck to hold Donald Trump and Greg Abbott accountable for their scheme to use the tragic Texas floods as cover to redraw the Texas maps,” said DNC chair Ken Martin. “Republicans know that the only way they hold onto the majority is by rigging the system—but it won’t work.”
In partnership with the Texas House Democratic Caucus, the DNC’s new strategy includes direct outreach to persuadable Republican and independent voters through calls, texts, public comment campaigns, and social media organizing. The effort will target key GOP districts that could shift if constituents push back against the redistricting effort.
Meanwhile, governors in other states like California and Illinois are considering counter-moves.
The fight over Texas maps is far from over—but it’s already shaping up to be one of the most consequential political battles of the decade.
Great Job Roxanne Szal & the Team @ Ms. Magazine Source link for sharing this story.
