Texas House, Senate panels again advance redrawn congressional map

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A Texas House committee again approved a new congressional map Monday, aiming to create five new Republican districts ahead of the 2026 election.

The proposed map is substantively similar to the version advanced by the same panel earlier this month, before dozens of House Democrats left the state to stop the bill from being passed by the full chamber.

Most of those lawmakers returned Monday, re-establishing the headcount necessary to advance legislation. After the 12-8 party-line committee vote, the proposed map is expected to be brought to the House floor for a vote this week.

At Monday’s hearing, Rep. Todd Hunter, a Corpus Christi Republican who is carrying the legislation, said the goal was to improve Republican performance, and the minor changes made since the map passed the first time were to “increase Republican political performance in existing Republican districts.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has said state lawmakers can draw maps to advance partisan goals, but under the Voting Rights Act, those lines cannot dilute the ability of Black and Hispanic voters to elect their candidates of choice. This map, once passed, will almost certainly face legal challenges.

On Sunday, meanwhile, the Senate's redistricting committee voted 6-3 to advance their version of the legislation, Senate Bill 4, after more than 40 people told lawmakers that the process was being rushed and that it would dilute people of color’s voting power. One person registered in favor of the bill.

Republican lawmakers introduced the rare mid-decade redistricting effort following a push from President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 elections.

Sen. Phil King, the Weatherford Republican who authored the legislation in both special sessions, said that the proposed congressional map is legal and that it would perform better for Republicans.

“I did not take race into consideration when drawing this map,” he said. “I drew it based on what would better perform for Republican candidates.”

Some Texans who testified on Sunday said legislators should be focusing on flood relief and response instead. King said flood bills have already been passed out of committee in the Senate and that they are “not being neglected.”

During the first special session, the Texas Senate approved the proposed map following a 19-2 vote along party lines.

Just before the bill was taken up that day, nine Texas Senate Democrats walked out of the chamber to protest what they called a “corrupt process.”

The two Democrats who stayed, Sens. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo and Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of McAllen, said “quorum breaks can delay but not defeat this effort” and their “greatest hope” in defeating it is in the courts. Both participated in a quorum break in 2003 to fight a Republican mid-decade redistricting effort then.

The Sunday panel vote came shortly after the start of the second special session, which began on Friday, hours after the Legislature gaveled out of the first one.

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