Texas’ Abbott Promises Quick Signature of Redistricting Plan Following Overnight Senate Vote

Governor Greg Abbott says he will “swiftly” sign a redrawn Texas congressional map into law.The Texas senate voted shortly after midnight on Saturday to approve a redrawn congressional map designed to flip five seats from Democrats to Republicans in next year’s midterm election.In a statement, Mr. Abbott called it “One Big Beautiful Map.”“I promised we would get this done, and delivered on that promise,” Mr. Abbott said. “I thank Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick for leading the passage in the Senate of a bill that ensures our maps reflect Texans’ voting preferences.”The vote came a day after California Democrats pushed through a series of bills in an effort to counter Texas’ move with its own redistricting.Governor Newsom asked lawmakers to approve spending of up to $250 million on a November special election in which voters would be asked to approve the new districts. California’s plan is intended to flip five seats from Republicans to Democrats, though in neither state is the intended outcome assured.California has 52 congressional representatives and only nine are currently Republicans. Republicans outnumber Democrats in Texas by 25 to 12.President Trump has asked Republican governors to redistrict to make sure the party retains control of Congress for the remainder of his administration. The sitting president’s political party usually loses congressional seats during the midterm elections and Democrats are within three seats of taking control, which would make it easier for them to obstruct the president’s agenda.Missouri is expected to join the redistricting fight next. “The Great State of Missouri is now IN. I’m not surprised,” Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.“It is a great State with fabulous people. I won it, all 3 times, in a landslide. We’re going to win the Midterms in Missouri again, bigger and better than ever before!” Mr. Trump wrote in his Truth Social message.The easiest way for the Missouri GOP to add one seat in the House would be to “crack up” a deeply blue district based around Kansas City, spreading its reliably Democratic voters among surrounding red districts.Ohio Republicans also plan to redraw their maps and the Trump administration is urging Indiana Republicans to do the same.That could prompt more Democrat-controlled states to retaliate. Maryland and New York are considering redoing their districts to boost Democratic-controlled districts.The United States Supreme Court opened the door to the latest wave of partisan redistricting when it ruled in 2019 that the Constitution does not prohibit gerrymandering.

Texas’ Abbott Promises Quick Signature of Redistricting Plan Following Overnight Senate Vote

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