Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has warned that if California moves ahead with its plan to redraw its House map, Texas could eliminate up to 10 Democratic districts. He cited the gerrymandered maps of Illinois, California, New York, and Massachusetts, as examples of blue states that have already gerrymandered. Abbott emphasized that Republicans plan to be aggressive in trying to knock off as many Democratic seats as possible. Texas currently has 25 House Republicans and 12 Democrats, with one vacancy waiting to be filled after Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death in March.
Texas Republicans are looking to make five pickup opportunities for the party next year with their redrawn map. However, their efforts to pass new congressional lines are stalled as Democrats have fled the state to deny the GOP a quorum. As the redistricting war intensifies, blue states have signaled their own redistricting plans. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a special session in November as Democrats in the Golden State look to pass a new House map to offset the GOP’s gains in Texas. New York, Illinois, Florida, Missouri, and Indiana may also revisit their congressional maps.
