Texas lawmakers on Wednesday gave their approval to new electoral map proposals that could potentially provide Republicans with up to five additional US House seats in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. This redistricting campaign is supported by President Donald Trump. The Republican-dominated House voted along party lines with an 88-52 margin to pass these new maps, which Democratic representative Chris Turner described as a “clear violation of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.”
Next, the maps will need to be approved by the Republican-dominated state Senate and signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott to become law, but these steps are anticipated to be mere formalities. Both Trump and other Republicans have openly stated that the overarching aim of this plan is to bolster their political influence and control.
Texas map sponsor Republican Todd Hunter declared, “The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: to improve Republican political performance.” Through this redistricting, Republicans could potentially secure an additional five winnable seats.
Gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party over another. Although the US Supreme Court has permitted partisan gerrymandering, it prohibits maps that are discriminatory based on race or ethnicity, violating the Voting Rights Act. Redistricting typically takes place every ten years to account for population changes, but Hunter argues it can happen at any time.
Meanwhile, Republicans are aiming to redraw at least 10 new seats and have their sights on Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, Indiana, South Carolina, and Florida. Trump posted the proposed map of Texas on his Truth Social platform, expressing his strong support for it.
Democrats have denounced the redistricting as a violation of the Voting Rights Act and accused it of being a “racial gerrymander,” arguing that it weakens minority voting power. In an effort to stall the vote, Texas Democrats left the state for two weeks and were subsequently placed under police surveillance to ensure their attendance at the Wednesday session, where they implemented procedural maneuvers and delivered lengthy speeches, to no avail.
Democrats attempted to delay proceedings by employing procedural tactics and giving long speeches, but ultimately without success. Democratic State Representative John H. Bucy labeled the bill as “Donald Trump’s map” and claimed, “It clearly and deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats in Congress because Trump himself knows that voters are rejecting his agenda.”
California has already vowed to take retaliatory action. Democrats in the state are advancing a ballot measure to create new Democratic-leaning districts. Governor Gavin Newsom stated, “Yes, we’ll fight fire with fire. Yes, we will push back. It’s not about whether we play hardball anymore, it’s about how we play hardball.” New York’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul considers the Texas redistricting plan equivalent to “legal insurrection” and may pursue a similar strategy in her state.
Former President Barack Obama supported Governor Newsom’s effort to redraw California’s map, calling it a necessary countermeasure against the GOP’s actions in Texas.
“Edited by: Louis Oelofse”
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-texas-house-approves-redistricting-map-appeasing-trump/a-73711484?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
