Republicans are setting the stage for a high-stakes redistricting battle in Texas, aiming to secure their hold on the U.S. House of Representatives in the critical 2026 midterm elections. With congressional control balanced on a knife’s edge, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional maps—an aggressive maneuver that has sent national Democrats into full-scale crisis mode.
The move follows findings from the Trump-aligned Department of Justice indicating that several districts in Texas may not comply with federal law. Leveraging that ruling, Republican leaders see an opportunity to restructure the state’s map and potentially gain up to five new congressional seats—particularly in the historically competitive Rio Grande region.
TEXAS redistricting news in Midday: TRUMP said Rs will try to squeeze out 5 more red seats
We hear tentative plan is to draw them in:
1. Cuellar’s #TX28
2. Gonzalez’s #TX34
3. Julie Johnson’s #TX32
4. Houston area
5. TBD – possibly Austin areaw @JakeSherman + @MicaSoellnerDC
— Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) July 15, 2025
Texas currently holds 38 seats in the U.S. House, 25 of which are held by Republicans. Despite a dominant GOP supermajority in the state legislature, Democrats have maintained a stronger-than-expected foothold, especially after a recent loss by conservatives in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which may imperil GOP-favored maps there. Texas Republicans appear to be taking no chances.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded swiftly, holding a private emergency call with Texas Democrats and DNC Chairman Ken Martin. Sources confirm Jeffries called the situation “an all-hands-on-deck moment,” pushing for “extraordinary actions” to block the session. The current Democratic plan involves a walkout to break quorum—a tactic previously deployed in 2021 in a failed attempt to stall election legislation.
Reporter: Are you calling for a complete redraw of the Texas congressional map?
Trump: No, just a very simple redraw—we pick up five seats. A couple of other states where we will pick up seats also. pic.twitter.com/H2vDiB0ndE
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 15, 2025
Republicans are signaling that this time, such theatrics will be met with a more forceful response. Texas law allows for absent lawmakers to be arrested and returned to the Capitol, a move the GOP is reportedly prepared to enact. Attorney General Ken Paxton has affirmed that financial penalties could also be imposed—fines accruing daily and potentially reaching tens of thousands of dollars per absent member.
There’s even discussion among legal analysts about the possibility of declaring absentee lawmakers’ seats vacant, though the legality and political feasibility of that approach remain uncertain. Regardless, GOP leadership appears determined to exhaust every legal avenue.
If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go. The people of Texas elected them to do a job, not run away and hide like cowards. Lawmakers must answer the special session call and pass the… https://t.co/sxLvZCIOB1
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) July 15, 2025
The political calculus is clear: with the Democrats aggressively challenging GOP maps across the country through litigation and state court decisions, Republicans in red states must counter with decisive action. The Texas special session is not just a local redistricting issue—it is a key move in a broader national strategy to secure control of the House in 2026.
