Texas Senate draws new congressional map to help gain more Republican seats

The Texas Senate has approved a new congressional map drawn to help Republicans gain up to five more house seats in the looming 2026 midterm elections.

The move has had a ripple effect across the country, seeing other states like California push to approve new congressional maps of their own in response.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill he refers to as the “one big beautiful map” into law just this past weekend.

Under this new map Republicans are aiming to earn 30 house seats, up from their current 25.

The approval of this bill came after a turbulent few weeks, that saw dozens of Democrats leave the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to do business.

Republican leaders have denied the new map is discriminatory, and have been explicit in their desire to create a new congressional map to elect more Republicans. California voters will decide in November whether to approve that state’s redrawn map.