The Republican-controlled Texas Senate approved a new congressional redistricting map on Tuesday in a 19–2 vote, even after nine Democratic senators walked out in an unsuccessful attempt to break quorum. The measure, Senate Bill 4, mirrors a House proposal and is designed to create up to five additional Republican-leaning U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections, a priority backed by President Donald Trump. Passage in the upper chamber shifts pressure to the Texas House, where more than 50 Democratic representatives remain out of state to deny a quorum. Governor Greg Abbott said he will convene a second special session "immediately" if the chamber still lacks the required attendance when the current session ends Friday. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick signaled the Senate will adjourn sine die the same day to allow Abbott to restart the process "in perpetuity" until the maps are enacted. Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas face $500 daily fines, possible civil arrest warrants and, according to Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, potential felony bribery charges linked to outside fundraising for their travel costs. While some Democrats are reportedly weighing a return that could restore a quorum, caucus leaders said they are still "assessing strategies" and want flood-recovery legislation considered before any vote on redistricting. The fight has rippled beyond Texas. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday proposed putting revised congressional maps before voters in a 4 November special election, arguing the move is necessary to counteract the Texas plan. The initiative has drawn opposition from a coalition that includes former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the League of Women Voters, underscoring the risk of a wider partisan escalation over mid-decade map drawing.