_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
Texas Republicans, with backing from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, are pushing a mid-decade redistricting plan that could net the GOP five new congressional seats.
More than 50 Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass the new maps, sparking a standoff that has drawn in governors and party leaders from across the country as many states now threaten to redraw congressional maps to boost the ruling party’s representation.
Legal threats, lawsuits, and promises of retaliatory redistricting in states like California and Illinois have turned the Texas fight into a national political flashpoint.
_THE FACTS_
The Texas legislature is redrawing maps after the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that districts that combined minority groups to boost their voting power were unconstitutional.
President Trump called on Texas Republicans to redraw congressional maps to create five more GOP-leaning districts.
Over 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state to block a quorum and stall the vote.
Governor Greg Abbott (R) warned he could call repeated special sessions, saying the fight “could literally last years.”
Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing 13 Democrats for abandoning their offices.
Many of the Democrats fled to Illinois, which is a heavily gerrymandered state. Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) stated that the FBI — which had been ordered to arrest the Texas Democrats — has no jurisdiction to enforce Texas law in Illinois.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) threatened to redraw the state's congressional map if Texas proceeds. Pritzker said the same about Illinois, as has Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) of New York.
In response to California’s threats, Florida said it would consider drawing some redder seats as well.
Vice President JD Vance recently met with Indiana officials to coordinate their own redistricting efforts; GOP legislative leaders there might eliminate the state’s sole House Democrat.
Ohio, Missouri, and other red states are also considering joining the fray.
_INSIGHTS_
Most Democratic-led states are constrained by independent redistricting commissions or strict legal limits, making it more difficult for them to redraw maps for partisan gain.
In New York, courts have repeatedly struck down aggressive Democratic gerrymanders. California can’t even redistrict mid-decade without a constitutional amendment — something voters may reject — and New Jersey’s window to make changes has already passed.
In contrast, most Republican-led states face no such restrictions, giving them the freedom to redraw maps whenever it serves their political interest.
