Daijiworld Media Network - Houston

Houston, Aug 24: The Republican-controlled Texas Senate has passed a highly contentious redistricting bill that could add five GOP-held seats to the U.S. House in next year’s midterm elections, intensifying what many are calling a nationwide "gerrymandering arms race."

The bill, reportedly backed by former President Donald Trump, is expected to be signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, solidifying Republicans’ already dominant grip on the state’s congressional delegation. The measure follows a strictly partisan path, passing the Texas House earlier this week with zero Democratic support.

Democratic lawmakers, who made a last-ditch effort to stall the bill, expressed outrage at the outcome. “This is not democracy, this is disgraceful,” State Senator Sarah Eckhardt posted on X (formerly Twitter), following the late-night vote.

Democrats have vowed to fight the measure in court. “This fight is far from over,” said Gene Wu, Democratic leader in the Texas House. “Our best shot is in the courts.”

Texas currently holds 38 congressional seats, 25 of which are controlled by Republicans. The new map, drawn just three years after the 2021 post-census redistricting, is part of a growing trend of mid-decade remapping fueled by political pressure from Washington.

Attention now turns to California, where Democratic leaders are preparing for a statewide vote in November on a new congressional map designed to offset potential GOP gains from states like Texas.

The Texas bill is part of a broader GOP strategy. Republican-led states including Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, and South Carolina are all eyeing map revisions to maximize conservative control in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Democratic-controlled states, too, are preparing their countermoves. New York, Illinois, and Maryland are all weighing similar redistricting plans to shore up Democratic advantages.

“Game on,” declared New York Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this week, underscoring the escalating national battle over political maps that could ultimately determine control of Congress.

With lawsuits all but certain, and political stakes sky-high, redistricting has once again emerged as one of the most fiercely contested fronts in American politics.