The Republican-led Texas House approved a redrawn congressional map on Wednesday after President Donald Trump requested the change. Democrats staged weeks of protests to block the plan, but Republicans pushed it through. The move has already triggered a redistricting arms race between Republican and Democratic states.

The measure now goes to the state Senate, where it is expected to pass quickly, possibly as early as Thursday. Before the vote, Democrats introduced several amendments to the bill, but Republicans rejected all of them. They also protested against taking up redistricting before addressing flood relief.

Democrats Say Map Hurts Minority Voters

Democrats argued that the mid-decade redistricting weakens the political voice of people of color while giving Republicans an unfair advantage. “We’re ready to meet Trump where he is, which is on a dirt road,” said Democrat Nicole Collier, who live-streamed her protest from a bathroom near the legislative floor. “We’re ready to get down and dirty.”

Collier refused to sign a pass for a police escort to leave the chamber, leaving her effectively trapped inside. During a Zoom call with Democratic Senator Cory Booker and DNC chair Ken Martin, she said she was warned to stop her live stream or face a felony charge. She quickly ended the meeting.

Representative Chris Turner also criticized the bill, saying, “This bill intentionally discriminates against Black and Hispanic Texans and other Texans of colour by cracking and packing minority communities across the state of Texas. It is a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.”

Republicans Defend the Plan

Republican leaders rejected claims of racial discrimination. They said the new map would raise the number of districts with a Hispanic voting-age majority from seven to eight. Based on the 2024 voting results, the plan could shift five congressional seats from Democrats to Republicans.

Representative Todd Hunter, who drafted the bill, defended it by saying, “You want transparency. The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance … We are allowed to draw congressional districts based on political performance, as recognised by the US Supreme Court in Rucho v Common Cause. These districts were drawn primarily using political performance to guide the redrawing of districts.”

California Prepares Counter-Move

Meanwhile, California’s Democratic-led government is preparing to respond. On Thursday, lawmakers in the state will vote on Governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan designed to “neutralise” Texas’s changes. However, California must still approve its new map in a November special election.

California officials made it clear the plan will only move forward if Texas or another Republican state advances a mid-decade redistricting strategy. On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama backed California’s effort, calling it a “responsible” response to Texas.

A History of Resistance

Last month, Texas Democrats left the state in an attempt to block the redistricting vote by denying a quorum. However, they returned once California began advancing its own redistricting bill.