AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats announced on Monday that they were ending a two-week walkout that had stalled Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts. This maneuver was part of a broader national partisan brawl connected to President Donald Trump’s aspirations to reshape U.S. House maps to benefit the Republican Party. With their return, the Republican-run Legislature can now proceed with its redistricting efforts while California Democrats simultaneously advance a counter-effort to redraw their own congressional boundaries. This tit-for-tat situation places the nation’s two most populous states at the forefront of an escalating conflict over control of Congress as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Dozens of Texas House Democrats left the state more than two weeks ago, effectively denying their Republican-majority colleagues the necessary attendance to vote on the proposed redrawn maps. These maps were designed to send five additional Texas Republicans to Washington. The Democrats declared victory after Republicans adjourned the first special session, rallying in opposition to what they characterized as a Trump-led gerrymandering effort. They specifically highlighted California’s release of proposed maps aimed at increasing Democrats’ U.S. House advantage by five seats, which would neutralize any potential Republican gains in Texas.
Texas House of Representatives Minority Leader Gene Wu expressed confidence in their efforts, stating, “We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation — reshaping the entire 2026 landscape.” This sentiment underscores the importance of fair representation in the ongoing redistricting debate.
President Trump has been pressuring Republican-led states to consider redistricting, while Democratic governors across multiple statehouses have signaled their intent to follow California’s lead in response. California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that his state will hold a special referendum on November 4 regarding the redrawn districts. The president aims to solidify the Republicans’ narrow House majority and prevent a repeat of the 2018 midterms, during which Democrats regained control of the House and utilized their majority to obstruct his agenda, even leading to two impeachment proceedings.
On a national scale, the current partisan makeup of existing district lines places Democrats within three seats of a majority in the House. Out of the 435 total House seats, only a few dozen districts are competitive. Consequently, even minor adjustments in several states could significantly influence which party secures control of the House.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has aligned with President Trump, adding redistricting to the agenda of the initial special session, which included various issues, notably a package of bills responding to devastating floods that resulted in over 130 fatalities last month. Abbott has attributed the delay in action on these measures to the absence of Democrats. Conversely, Democrats argue that Abbott’s submission to Trump is the real cause of the delay, as he insisted on linking the hyper-partisan redistricting issue to the nonpartisan flood relief efforts.
Redistricting generally occurs once a decade, coinciding with the census. Many states, including Texas, empower legislators to draw the district maps. In contrast, California utilizes independent commissions for this task, reflecting a different approach to managing district boundaries. The Texas House is scheduled to convene on Monday at noon CDT, as the political landscape continues to evolve in this high-stakes redistricting battle.
