Texas lawmakers have completed a rare mid-decade redraw of the state’s 38 congressional districts, sending a Republican-drafted map to Governor Greg Abbott after an 18–11 Senate vote early on 23 August. The House approved the plan 88–52 on 20 August. Abbott, a Republican, has pledged to sign the measure quickly. Drawn at the urging of President Donald Trump, the map is designed to create as many as five new Republican-leaning districts by reshaping boundaries in Austin, Dallas, Houston and South Texas. Supporters argue the lines reflect recent voting trends; critics say they dismantle minority-led districts and entrench partisan advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when the GOP holds a narrow U.S. House majority. Democrats tried to derail the legislation with a two-week walkout in the House and a planned Senate filibuster by Senator Carol Alvarado. Both efforts were defeated after Republicans used procedural tactics to force votes. Voting-rights groups and Democratic legislators have already signalled they will challenge the map in federal court under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Texas action has accelerated a national redistricting clash. California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature last week advanced a measure that would ask voters in November to approve a competing map aimed at flipping up to five Republican-held seats. Similar partisan moves are being debated in other states as both parties seek structural advantages before 2026.