Aug 23, 04:25 PM

Texas Clears GOP Map, Faces Lawsuit as California Sets $230 Million Counter Vote

Texas lawmakers early Saturday approved a mid-cycle congressional map designed to flip five Democratic seats, sending the bill to Governor Greg Abbott after the Senate endorsed it 18–11 along party lines. The measure, requested by President Donald Trump, follows House passage earlier in the week, which had been stalled by a two-week Democratic walkout. A procedural motion cut short an attempted catheter-aided filibuster by Democratic Senator Carol Alvarado minutes before the vote. Hours after the legislature acted, Black and Latino voters filed an amended complaint in federal court seeking to block the plan, arguing it dilutes minority voting strength and violates both Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The case will be heard in the Western District of Texas, where litigation over the state’s 2021 lines is still pending. California moved quickly to counter Texas. Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed legislation calling a $230 million special election on Nov. 4 for voters to decide whether to suspend maps drawn by the state’s independent commission and adopt a partisan plan expected to create five additional Democratic-leaning districts. The referendum is necessary because California’s constitution bars lawmakers from unilaterally redrawing districts mid-decade. The dueling initiatives escalate a nationwide redistricting battle that could determine control of the U.S. House in 2026. A Rasmussen survey conducted Aug. 11–13 found 83 % of likely voters view partisan gerrymandering as a serious threat to democracy, underscoring the political risk both parties face as legal and legislative fights spread to other states.