Texas House Advances Controversial GOP Congressional Map Amid Fierce Opposition

The Republican-controlled Texas House is moving swiftly today, August 20, 2025, to advance a contentious new congressional map designed to secure up to five additional U.S. House seats for the GOP. This unusual mid-decade redistricting effort comes under direct pressure from President Donald Trump, aiming to bolster the Republican Party’s slim majority in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats have vehemently opposed the plan, characterizing it as an unconstitutional attempt to manipulate electoral boundaries. Their two-week walkout earlier this month failed to stall the map’s progression, and they are now focusing on establishing a legal record for an anticipated challenge under the Voting Rights Act, arguing it diminishes the voting power of minority communities.

Republicans, including Rep. Cody Vasut, chair of the House’s redistricting committee, assert the new districts are drawn to maximize partisan advantage and ensure a “level playing field” against Democratic gerrymandering in other states. The proposed map strategically dismantles Democratic strongholds in major urban areas like Austin, Dallas, and Houston, and shifts South Texas seats to be more Republican-leaning, without jeopardizing existing GOP districts. Rep. Todd Hunter, the bill’s sponsor, openly stated the five new districts are “based on political performance.” While the U.S. Supreme Court permits partisan map-drawing, the Voting Rights Act prohibits maps that diminish the voting power of people of color, a point Democrats like Rep. Gene Wu of Houston argue is violated by the current proposal, calling it “the worst racial discrimination in redistricting since the Jim Crow era.”

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