As Texas state lawmakers convened Monday for a special legislative session in which they plan to redraw congressional district maps to try to create more Republican-leaning seats, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned the effort will backfire.

Mr. Jeffries said Texas’ “extreme mid-decade congressional gerrymandering” would create new districts where several incumbent Texas Republicans suddenly become more vulnerable than they are under current district lines.

“They should be careful with what they are doing, because many of them may not return in the aftermath of the midterm election,” the New York Democrat warned.

Texas currently has 38 congressional districts. Republicans hold 25, or just under two-thirds, of those seats. Democrats started the Congress with the other 13 seats, but one is currently vacant after Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died in March.

President Trump has pushed the Texas redistricting effort, saying he would like to see Republicans use it to pick up five seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

“The Texas map is already gerrymandered, which is why Texas Republicans are walking themselves into a dummy-mander where they are going to create competitive districts currently held by Republican incumbents,” Mr. Jeffries said. “Because it’s hard to further gerrymander a map that is already designed to protect far-right Republican extremists who serve in the House of Representatives.”

Democrats need a net gain of three seats in 2026 to flip control of the House.

Mr. Jeffries is confident about his party’s chances, saying the American people are rejecting Republicans “and their policies, including their signature, one big, ugly law.”

Democrats have discussed trying to counter the Texas GOP redistricting effort with ones of their own in blue states.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is talking to state legislators about their options for redistricting outside of the typical census-driven timeline.

“We continue to have conversations with the state delegations, whether that’s in California or New York or beyond, to explore what the opportunities and possibilities are in order to make sure that the congressional map in 2026 is as fair as possible,” Mr. Jeffries said.

He declined to say whether he’s hearing concerns from California and New York incumbents that redistricting in those states could dilute blue districts and make them more competitive. Instead, Mr. Jeffries deferred to the heads of those state delegations, California Rep. Zoe Lofgren and New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler.

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.