Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on Friday reportedly signed into law a sweeping new congressional map designed to bolster Republican strength in Washington, securing five additional GOP-leaning districts in advance of what is expected to be a contentious 2026 midterm season.
“Today, I signed the One Big Beautiful Map into law,” Abbott announced on X. “This map ensures fairer representation in Congress. Texas will be more RED in Congress.”
The move concludes weeks of acrimony in Austin, where Texas Democrats once again fled the state in a failed attempt to deny Republicans the quorum needed to advance the measure.
Their dramatic gambit drew national headlines and financial support from progressive donors such as George Soros and Beto O’Rourke, but ultimately collapsed when California Democrats, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, passed their own counter-map in an attempt to offset the Lone Star State’s new Republican gains.
The measure, carried in the Senate by State Sen. Phil King, R-Texas, is unapologetically partisan in its aims. King argued that while the map “created more competitive districts,” he was confident they would favor Republican candidates in the upcoming cycle. “[House Bill 4], I believe, should elect more Republicans to the U.S. Congress, but I’m here to tell you, there are no guarantees,” King told colleagues.
Abbott and Texas Republicans were explicit about the stakes. The governor made clear that the new districts are intended to prevent a repeat of the 2018 cycle, when Democrats seized control of the House and stymied President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
This year, Republicans succeeded in passing Trump’s signature “big, beautiful bill,” which enacted sweeping immigration and green energy reforms alongside tax cuts. Democrats have already seized on provisions such as Medicaid reductions to fuel their 2026 campaigns.
For Republicans, keeping control of the House is critical if Trump is to replicate his legislative victories in the second half of his term. “The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward,” said Rep. Todd Hunter, a Republican author of the bill. “Improve Republican political performance.” Hunter emphasized that four of the five new districts are majority-minority Hispanic, a demographic Republicans have made significant inroads with.
Democrats denounced the effort as illegal and racially discriminatory. “Members, it breaks my heart to see how this illegal and rigged mid-decade redistricting scheme is dividing our state and our country,” said Rep. Chris Turner, a Democrat. Turner accused “outside politicians and their billionaire backers” of driving the process.
But Republicans were undeterred, swiftly rejecting more than a dozen Democratic amendments before passing the map last Wednesday evening.
Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows even sought nationwide civil arrest warrants for the runaway Democrats, while Sen. John Cornyn asked the FBI and Justice Department to investigate the political groups that financed their escape.
Whether Abbott’s triumph endures will partly depend on California. Newsom has promised to give voters in his state the final say on a rival map that would add five Democratic seats, calling it “direct democracy that gives us a fighting chance to STOP Donald Trump’s election rigging.” But until November, the GOP in Texas can claim a decisive edge in the high-stakes chess match that will shape control of Congress in 2026.
[READ MORE: Mass Shooting Including Multiple Casualties Reported at Catholic School in Minneapolis]
