On the first day of a two-week trial, the plaintiffs’ lawyers honed in on who drew the new map and whether race was a factor.
Redistricting Texas 2025
A panel of federal judges has blocked Texas’ attempt to use new congressional maps in 2026. Republican state lawmakers drew the new districts to pick up five additional U.S. House seats after a pressure campaign waged by President Donald Trump’s political team. Texas House Democrats left the state during the unusual mid-decade redrawing, delaying passage of the maps and attracting national attention to what became a multi-state redistricting battle.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
Texas GOP may be banking on low Hispanic turnout in new map
Republicans note that some of the districts they intend to flip were redrawn to become majority-Hispanic. Democrats say the GOP made sure to add Hispanic Texans who are unlikely to vote.
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2026 Texas Elections
How Democrats pressured U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett to step aside for the next generation
Doggett’s shocking decision to retire signals U.S. Rep. Greg Casar’s growing strength among Democrats in Austin politics and in Congress.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Legislature ends second special session marked by new political maps, slew of conservative wins
Between cracking down on abortion pills and restricting transgender restroom use, lawmakers also tackled flood safety and the STAAR test. Left untouched: Texas’ hemp industry.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
In rapidly diversifying Tarrant County, a summer of GOP redistricting hits Black and Latino representation
Despite explosive growth turning Tarrant into a racially diverse swing county, two new political maps will leave it with whiter, more Republican representation.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
Gov. Greg Abbott signs new Texas congressional map designed to give GOP five more seats
The governor was expected to sign off on the new district lines, which passed the Legislature last week and aim to flip five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
Texas Rep. John Lujan files to run in redrawn 35th Congressional District
Lujan, a Republican, represents a state House district that covers southern and eastern portions of San Antonio, overlapping with the new congressional seat.
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2026 Texas Elections
Former GOP Rep. Mayra Flores switches districts to challenge Rep. Vicente Gonzalez for third time
Flores, who was going to challenge Rep. Henry Cuellar, is returning to her old district after a newly passed map improves Republicans’ chances of ousting Gonzalez.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
Fresh off Texas Senate’s approval, new congressional map is target of lawsuits
One lawsuit, filed by LULAC on behalf of 13 Texas residents, states that the redrawn districts in the new map are racially discriminatory and violate voter protection laws.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
The Texas redistricting fight has been the backdrop for the Trump administration to test a new legal strategy
The administration has been testing a strategy of using the courts as leverage to force political outcomes. In Texas, the state’s leaders and conservative activists have been willing, if not eager, collaborators.
