Texas Panel Advances New Congressional Map Targeting Five Democratic Seats

A Texas House committee on Saturday advanced a redrawn congressional map that could shift five Democratic-held districts toward Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The proposal, strongly supported by President Donald Trump, aims to secure the GOP’s House majority.

The new map, introduced earlier this week, would increase the number of Texas districts that Trump would have won in 2024 from 27 to 30. It also creates five more districts where Trump’s margin would have exceeded 10 percentage points, according to data from the Texas Legislative Council.

Republicans argue that the new map is necessary to address what they describe as unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered district lines. Democrats have criticized the move, calling it voter suppression targeting communities of color.

Among the most significant changes: the elimination of Rep. Greg Casar’s Austin-area seat, likely forcing him into a primary with fellow Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Doggett has $6.2 million in campaign funds and is expected to mount a strong challenge if that happens.

The plan also merges Rep. Al Green’s Houston-area district with a vacant seat left by the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, meaning Green could face a contested race. Additionally, districts represented by Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez in southern Texas would be redrawn to lean more Republican, though both incumbents are considered strong contenders.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder vowed to file a lawsuit if the map is enacted, accusing state Republicans of “silencing voters on behalf of Donald Trump.”

Similar tactics are expected in Democratic-led states, where leaders are exploring ways to redraw maps in their favor ahead of the midterms. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats nationwide to reclaim control of the U.S. House.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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