Texas state House Republicans are preparing to pass their redistricting bill Wednesday, a measure backed by President Donald Trump that is expected to give the GOP five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The session reconvened at 11 a.m. EDT, with Democrats acknowledging they lack the numbers to block the bill’s passage. They have vowed to challenge the maps in court to prevent them from being used.
During the first special session called by Governor Greg Abbott, Democrats fled Texas for two weeks to deny the House a quorum. When that session expired and Abbott called a new one, they returned to Austin, where tensions resumed.
Upon their return, Democrats were required to remain under strict rules, including signing waivers, police escorts, and round-the-clock monitoring to prevent them from leaving the state again. Representative Nicole Collier of Fort Worth spent Monday night in the Capitol, refusing to sign the waiver, later joined by other Democrats who tore up their own permissions.
“This is a civil discussion and disagreement, and in order to win, the other side is willing to use force — to use the arms of a state to get what they want. Good guys don’t do that,” Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu told CNN. Wu and Representative Vince Perez of El Paso stayed with Collier through the night.
Republican Representative Charlie Geren of Fort Worth told the New York Times that Wednesday’s session would be lengthy to allow consideration of amendments and multiple votes. “It’s going to be a long day,” he said.
The proposed map, introduced last month and later revised, would still add five Republican seats while reinforcing GOP-held districts by shifting more Republican voters into them. The current districts, passed four years ago, are already being contested in court, with a ruling expected this fall.
Trump urged lawmakers to act quickly. “Please pass this map ASAP,” he posted on social media Monday. “Thank you, Texas!”
Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats. California Governor Gavin Newsom has already started a redistricting process in his state to counterbalance Texas, and leaders in other states have signaled they may follow suit.
