House Democrats are urging President Trump and his Republican allies to rethink congressional district lines in Texas ahead of the midterms, charging that the GOP is manipulating the system to retain its grip on power.
“It’s abundantly clear why Republicans are taking these steps. They recognize that they’ll likely lose their majority next year,” remarked House Democrats’ campaign leader, Suzan Delbene (D-Wash), during a press briefing on Capitol Hill. She added, “They realize their failed agenda won’t win them votes, so they’ve come up with a plan to rig Texas’s map in an effort to protect their slim majority.”
During a rare midterm effort, Texas lawmakers are expected to discuss new congressional boundaries in a special legislative session called by GOP Governor Greg Abbott. This push to revise the Texas map stems from President Trump’s request as he looks to solidify Republican control during the remaining years of his second term.
On a call with Texas Republicans Tuesday morning, Trump encouraged lawmakers to redraw districts, aiming to convert five Democratic seats into Republican ones, as reported.
Democrats are criticizing these efforts, particularly as the state is still reeling from a significant flooding event in the Hill Country that resulted in numerous fatalities, including young attendees of a summer camp. They argue that Republicans should prioritize recovery from this disaster and examine contributing factors, which include recent cuts to the National Weather Service that Trump has defended.
“Instead of addressing a serious crisis that has impacted countless lives in unimaginable ways, we see Donald Trump, certain House Republicans, and Governor Abbott partnering to equivocate on the Texas congressional map in a manner that marginalizes millions of Texans,” one critic stated.
“In this nation, elected officials ought to earn the votes of their constituents,” he continued. “What Republicans are attempting in Texas is to let politicians handpick their voters.”
Jeffries refrained from stating whether Democratic states like New York and California would consider their own redistricting measures to counteract Texas and North Carolina’s efforts, leaving that decision to the respective governors. However, he did suggest that developments could be on the horizon.
The rationale for altering the map has failed to convince Democrat critics. Recently, Trump’s Justice Department asserted that a new map is necessary to rectify four districts deemed unconstitutional due to racial considerations. Harmeet Dhillon from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division urged state Republicans to “correct these racial biases.”
A Texas Democrat dismissed Dhillon’s argument as nonsensical, pointing out that Republicans had redrawn the map just four years prior.
“The absurdity of this justification comes from a Republican-controlled Congress and a governor who is simply carrying out Trump’s wishes,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), a Congressional Black Caucus member. She noted that Texas has a troubling history of policies aimed at diluting minority power, which she views as a continuation of past discrimination.
“They’re not just disrupting cohesive communities but intentionally undermining minority voices,” Crockett remarked.
Even though disenfranchisement isn’t new, this isn’t the first instance of Republicans manipulating state power to skew congressional representation. In 2022, North Carolina Republicans reconfigured their districts to secure an additional seat in Congress, a move reversed by the state’s Supreme Court when Democrats were in charge. However, following a change in the court’s composition, those maps were reinstated.
The outcome was that Republicans gained three Democratic seats in the 2024 elections, leading to an evenly split delegation of seven members from each party.
“If North Carolina doesn’t undertake serious redistricting to eliminate three Democratic seats, we could be the majority now,” warned Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts. “This is a clear attempt to suppress voters and silence Texans at a time when they actually need their government.”
Delbene cautioned that Republican redistricting could backfire, potentially jeopardizing the advantages held by certain incumbents while opening doors for Democrats aiming to capture those seats.
“Republicans should really consider what they’re getting into,” she advised.
Jeffries echoed this sentiment, expressing skepticism about Republican integrity. “I don’t anticipate them showing any political backbone. Texas Republicans may continue bowing to Trump’s extreme agenda, and in doing so, jeopardize their electoral futures,” he concluded.
