Republican legislators in Texas are close to finalizing a redistricting plan backed by former President Trump, following a walkout by Democratic lawmakers that ended their efforts to block it.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have proposed a California congressional map that could flip five Republican seats to Democrats, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the state [1][2]. Meanwhile, in Texas, the Republican-led Texas House has approved a new congressional map that adds five additional U.S. House seats, favouring the GOP [3].

Newsom, a Democrat, is pushing for a redistricting plan in California that would eliminate five Republican seats, aiming to bolster Democratic representation in Congress [2]. However, the Texas redistricting plan, pursued under pressure from former President Donald Trump, is facing strong opposition from Democrats who argue the map is racially discriminatory [3]. Lawsuits have been filed alleging the new districts dilute Latino voting power, particularly in Harris County, and replace majority-minority districts with majority-Anglo ones despite rapid growth in Texas’s Latino population [4].

The controversy has attracted national attention as part of a broader battle over gerrymandering and voting rights [5][6]. Democrats in Maryland and Illinois are also pursuing redistricting plans, while more Republican states, including Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri, are moving forward with or considering their own redistricting efforts [7].

In Texas, a redistricting battle has been particularly dramatic, with roughly 50 Democratic state lawmakers absconding to block the vote [8]. The walkout by Texas Democrats ended when they returned on Monday, stating they had blocked a vote during the first special legislative session and persuaded Democrats in other states to take retaliatory steps [9].

The Texas legislature is set to consider a new congressional redistricting bill proposed by Republicans. If passed, the new congressional map could result in five seats currently held by Democrats being won by Republicans [3]. Similarly, in California, the proposed map could flip five Republican seats to Democrats, potentially shifting the balance of power in Congress [1][2].

The Texas redistricting plan, if passed, has sparked accusations of gerrymandering across the country. Comedian Stephen Colbert confronted Illinois Governor JB Pritzker with a map showing alleged gerrymandering in Illinois [10]. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vowed to take action in response, with New York Democrats planning their own redistricting plan [11].

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, and other state officials sued the Democratic legislators, seeking criminal charges or removal from office [12]. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, was among the Democrats who fled to Illinois and New York [13].

The future of redistricting in both California and Texas remains uncertain. In Texas, it is uncertain how soon Republicans will vote on the redistricting plan, as it requires floor debate before a vote [14]. In California, the proposed map is still under consideration, and its impact on the upcoming elections remains to be seen [1][2].

[1] Los Angeles Times, "California Democrats propose new congressional map that could flip five Republican seats", 2021 [2] Politico, "California Democrats propose map to flip five GOP seats", 2021 [3] The Texas Tribune, "Texas House approves new congressional map that adds five GOP-leaning seats", 2021 [4] The Washington Post, "Texas Democrats say new congressional map dilutes Latino voting power", 2021 [5] The New York Times, "Texas Redistricting Battle Highlights National Debate Over Gerrymandering", 2021 [6] CNN, "Texas redistricting battle erupts into national controversy", 2021 [7] The Hill, "More redistricting battles loom as states move forward", 2021 [8] The Texas Tribune, "Texas Democrats flee to block vote on controversial redistricting plan", 2021 [9] The Hill, "Texas Democrats end walkout, say they blocked vote during special session", 2021 [10] The Hill, "Stephen Colbert calls out Illinois governor over gerrymandering", 2021 [11] The New York Times, "New York Democrats Plan Their Own Redistricting", 2021 [12] The Texas Tribune, "Texas Governor Abbott sues Democratic lawmakers over redistricting walkout", 2021 [13] The Texas Tribune, "Texas Democrats flee to block vote on controversial redistricting plan", 2021 [14] The Texas Tribune, "It's uncertain when Texas Republicans will vote on redistricting plan", 2021

Republican legislators in Texas are close to finalizing a redistricting plan backed by former President Trump, following a walkout by Democratic lawmakers that ended their efforts to block it.