Texas Republicans revealed on July 30 a newly drawn map of congressional districts as they look to increase the number of seats the party has in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The new map includes five House seats for the GOP to win in 2026.
The Texas House of Representatives redrew the map on July 24 at President Donald Trump’s request as the GOP looks to hold onto its majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The majority there is narrow.
In a letter to the Department of Justice, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that the state’s ninth, 18th, 29th, and 33rd congressional districts “currently constitute unconstitutional ‘coalition districts’ and we urge the state of Texas to rectify these race-based considerations from these specific districts.”
A “coalition district” consists of minorities, such as blacks, in accordance with the Voting Rights Act.
“When race is the predominant factor above other traditional redistricting considerations including compactness, contiguity, and respect for political subdivision lines, the State of Texas must demonstrate a compelling state interest to survive strict scrutiny,” wrote Abbott.
Critics say that the redistricting is a bad look for the GOP.
“Redistricting is attracting a great deal of interest, none of it good for Republicans,” Bryan Jones, a professor of political science at the University of Texas, told The Epoch Times.
He said that “Republicans have made two major mistakes.”
“One is the taking of orders from Trump with no justification except raw power,” he said.
“The anti-woke ‘we have too much representation by Hispanics and blacks’ is not a good basis and can stir up minority group leaders.
“The second is to prioritize redistricting over managing future disasters.”
Redistricting “could backfire,” Richard Groper, a political science professor at California State University, told The Epoch Times.
Michael Li, a redistricting expert at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, told The Epoch Times that what Texas Republicans look to do is “totally unprecedented.”
“I can’t think of another situation where the party got what it wanted, did very well, and then decided to redraw its own map,” he said.