Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott referred to as a particular session of the state legislature on Wednesday to demand the GOP-controlled physique redraw the state’s congressional districts, an effort to gerrymander the state to attempt to squeeze out extra seats for Republicans within the 2026 midterms.
Abbott referred to as the particular session as a result of President Donald Trump needs Texas Republicans to rig the map for the GOP to attempt to offset potential Republican losses subsequent November, when Republicans may lose management of their three-seat Home majority. Political analysts say that underneath the present congressional maps, Democrats are favored to win management of the Home in 2026.
Figuring out that Democratic Home management would finish Trump’s legislative agenda and permit Democrats to analyze his corrupt enterprise dealings and administration, Trump is desperately attempting to forestall that from occurring by getting Texas and Ohio to be “ruthless” and make their state congressional districts much more closely Republican gerrymanders.
Texas was the primary state to chunk, after Abbott referred to as the particular session. Abbott cited a letter Trump’s Division of Justice despatched purporting to say that a number of Democratic-held Texas congressional districts “constitute unconstitutional racial gerrymanders” and ought to be redrawn. However that is clearly only a ruse to offer Republicans an excuse to redraw the congressional districts to offer Republicans an edge.
The New York Occasions reported, nonetheless, that Republicans within the Texas congressional delegation are cautious about redrawing districts, nervous that they may inadvertently make GOP lawmakers extra susceptible if the 2026 midterms change into a Democratic wave. By spreading out GOP voters in additional districts, it may make Republicans extra susceptible if independents break Democrats’ method subsequent November.
Individuals look by way of belongings at Camp Mystic alongside the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept by way of the realm on July 6, in Hunt, Texas.
“The only way you make the state more competitive congressionally is you do it at their expense,” Democratic state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer informed the Occasions, referring to congressional Republicans. “I think the Republicans have already maximized their map, given the demographic changes in the state.”
Abbott referred to as the particular session as his state is reeling from a horrible pure catastrophe during which at the least 120 individuals—lots of them kids attending summer season camps—had been swept away and killed by flash flooding. Almost 200 extra are nonetheless lacking and sure presumed lifeless, because it has been days because the flooding.
Studies stated that Texas state didn’t have sufficient warning programs to forestall the tragedy, and that Trump’s cuts to federal catastrophe preparedness funding may make issues even worse in future flood conditions.
Democrats, for his or her half, are slamming Abbott’s particular session announcement, saying it’s a craven political transfer that exhibits he’s placing politics over saving lives.
“A whole lot of individuals have died or are lacking on account of the lethal flooding within the Texas Hill nation. There are actual questions on Governor Greg Abbott’s failed management, lack of preparation and the reckless choice to not bolster the early warning infrastructure in flood inclined communities,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “As a substitute of aggressively addressing the failures of his administration, Governor Abbott and shameless extremists are conspiring with Donald Trump and Home Republicans to attempt to rig the election and disenfranchise tens of millions of voters.”
Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene echoed these sentiments.
“It’s shameful that whereas Texans are nonetheless responding to the lethal and tragic floods, Governor Abbott, Home Republicans, and Donald Trump are focusing their time and assets attempting to push by way of new, rigged Congressional maps,” she said in a statement. “Republicans are operating scared as a result of they know the American individuals will reject them subsequent yr for his or her damaged guarantees and failed agenda. In addition they know they can not win honest and sq., so they’re attempting as soon as once more to rig the maps.”
