Democrats slammed Texas Republicans over their proposed congressional map that would wipe out several blue districts in the state to help ensure a GOP majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposed map would create 30 Republican congressional seats, compared to just eight Democratic districts, a five-seat boost for the GOP from its current 25 Republican and 13 Democratic seat breakdown.
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Members in danger of their districts being cut out by the maps blasted President Donald Trump and his efforts to gerrymander Texas, calling the redistricting “racist” and “illegal” in a minority-majority state.
“The proposed lines would fracture District 32 communities across Dallas, Richardson, Garland, Mesquite, and Balch Springs — some of the most diverse areas in the state — and dilute the voting power of Black, Hispanic, and Asian American Texans,” Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX) wrote in a statement Wednesday.
“Texas is a majority-minority state. Instead of empowering those voters, Washington, D.C., drew maps to erase them. It’s strategic, intentional, and violates voting rights. This map is an insult to our democracy and our voters’ intelligence,” she continued.
The new congressional map, which has yet to be finalized, puts Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez in redder districts. It also puts various incumbent Democrats at risk by redrawing or merging their current districts, including Reps. Al Green, Marc Veasey, Greg Casar, and Johnson.
Texas Democrats are discussing ways to resist and work together to block this attempt to redistrict. Congressional districts are typically redrawn every 10 years based on population shifts documented by census counts, next up in 2030. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is set to visit the Lone Star State on Wednesday night to meet with Texas Democrats and discuss the best path forward.
“For years, Republicans have failed in their attempts to use redistricting to get rid of me,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) said in a statement.
“If we continue working together, they will fail again. If Trump and his cowardly Republican accomplices get away with rigging Texas, voters in states across America will be at risk. For now, my sole focus is on defeating this Trump-imposed gerrymandering, which relies on crooked lines instead of honest votes,” the Texas Democrat continued.
Texas Democrats are not the only faction of the party mad about this Trump-backed effort.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) met with Texas Democrats as they led the charge in pushing back on the Republican effort to discuss the possibility of staging a walkout to delay the special session. California, along with other blue states, has begun talks to do a similar redistricting as Texas to cut out red seats as a way of fighting “fire with fire.”
“Hope it’s worth it! Say goodbye to Kevin Kiley and 5 other CA Republicans,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) wrote on X.
If the redistricting effort is successful, Republicans would hold 30 of the 38 seats, or 79% of the allotted seats in the House. The party only garnered 58% of the total congressional votes in last year’s election.
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“Texas Republicans have completely surrendered our state to Trump and his billionaire cronies, at the expense of selling out their constituents and Latino voters in South Texas,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “What they forget is that I’m still a lawyer. We will fight this disgraceful attempt to cheat Lone Star State voters in Federal Court, and will win again in an era where Trump is deeply underwater.”
Democrats are on defense in the House, with 41 seats rated competitive compared to the 29 marked competitive for the GOP. Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to flip the House. Historically, the House flips to the party opposite the White House in the midterm elections.