The Republican-controlled Texas Senate passed a new congressional redistricting map Tuesday that could create up to five additional GOP-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The 19–2 party-line vote came after nine of the chamber’s 11 Democrats staged a walkout, leaving the floor nearly empty. The maps now move to the Texas House for consideration.
GOP Moves Ahead, Democrats Flee
The new map is designed to strengthen Republican control of Texas’s congressional delegation. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the Senate will continue to pass the map each session until House Democrats — many of whom fled the state to cities such as Chicago, New York, and Boston — return to work.
“Today, the Texas Senate passed the new congressional map, including 5 new Republican majority districts,” Patrick said.
“The Texas Senate will continue passing this map… until House Democrats return from their ‘vacation’ and get back to work for the people of Texas.”
Democrat Opposition
Senate Democrats claimed the mid-decade redistricting amounted to gerrymandering, calling it “a corrupt process” and insisting the session should focus solely on flood relief.
“Politicians [are] picking their voters instead of voters choosing their leaders,” the caucus said in a statement.
Abbott: “They Can’t Outrun the Will of Texans”
Governor Greg Abbott warned Democrats that if the August 19 special session deadline passes without a quorum in the House, he will immediately call a second special session — and as many more as it takes to pass the map and other GOP priorities.
“Democrats can run to another state, but they can’t outrun the will of Texans,” Abbott posted on X. “I’ll call special after special until the Texas first agenda is passed.”
