Texas intensified the national redistricting fight on Wednesday, when the state House approved a new congressional map in an 88–52 vote after Democrats returned from a quorum-breaking walkout. The plan, now before the Republican-controlled Senate and expected to reach Governor Greg Abbott’s desk within days, is designed to create up to five additional safe GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Missouri and other Republican-led states signalled they will follow suit after President Donald Trump called for the party to pick up as many as 100 seats nationwide. California moved quickly to counter Texas. Governor Gavin Newsom’s Democratic super-majorities advanced a three-bill package that would bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission and place a new, more Democratic-friendly map on the Nov. 4 ballot. Legislative leaders expect final passage on Thursday; if voters consent, the map could give Democrats roughly five more House seats, offsetting the projected Texas gains. The speed of the California push has drawn legal and fiscal scrutiny. The state Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Republican request to delay legislative action, clearing the way for Newsom’s plan. Lawmakers, however, have yet to spell out how to finance the statewide special election, which Assembly budget officials estimate could cost about $200-$230 million. Counties would likely pay upfront and seek reimbursement later. Public opinion on the escalating ‘map war’ is mixed. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found 55 percent of Americans view partisan redistricting as harmful to democracy, while 57 percent worry U.S. democracy itself is at risk. Separate polling by UC Berkeley shows Californians almost evenly divided over scrapping the independent process, even though 63 percent say gerrymandering is never acceptable. The duelling mid-decade remaps—unusual outside of the decennial census cycle—underscore the high stakes for control of the narrowly divided U.S. House. With both parties now openly abandoning earlier pledges to curb gerrymandering, more states are expected to revisit their lines before 2026, setting up a fresh round of court challenges and political brinkmanship.