Texas Democrats were dealt a crushing blow Friday after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed into law a new redistricting map that hands Republicans a massive advantage heading into the next election.
With one signature, Abbott added five solid GOP seats to the Texas delegation, eliminating five Democrats and dramatically reshaping the balance of power.
The new map will send 30 Republicans and just eight Democrats to Washington, flipping the current delegation of 25 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and one vacant seat.
Abbott called the move a victory for fair representation. “The one, big beautiful map … ensures fairer representation in the United States Congress for Texans,” Abbott said in a video posted on X.
“Texas is now more red in the United States Congress,” Abbott declared.
Democrats exploded with outrage, accusing Abbott and Texas Republicans of racism and voter suppression, per Trending Politics.
“With a stroke of the pen, Greg Abbott and the Republicans have effectively surrendered Texas to Washington, D.C.,” Texas Democrats said in a statement.
“They love to boast about how ‘Texas Tough’ they are, but when Donald Trump made one call, they bent over backwards to prioritize his politics over Texans. Honestly, it’s pathetic,” the statement read.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) issued a scathing rebuke of the GOP-led measure, accusing them of cheating.
“The Republicans, they are cheaters all day, every day. But we have never tried to match their energy until now. And I applaud it,” Crockett claimed in a recent CNN interview.
The fight over the map dragged on for more than a month after Democrats fled the state in an attempt to block passage. They fled to hotels and rented homes in other states, hoping to deny Republicans a quorum. In the end, they returned home broke and defeated.
Among the Democrats most at risk is Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a prominent member of the so-called “Squad.”
Rep. Al Green (D-TX), a 77-year-old who made headlines after being removed from President Donald Trump’s speech in March, also finds himself staring at a political cliff.
Other Democrats in danger include Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) of the Rio Grande Valley, Julie Johnson (D-TX) from the Dallas area, and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), whose Austin district has been reshaped.
Republicans are celebrating, calling it a decisive win that locks in GOP power in one of the most critical states in the country. Abbott and state lawmakers insist the maps are constitutional.
Progressive groups are preparing lawsuits in an effort to block the new plan.
Axios reported that court challenges could drag on for months, but Republicans point to U.S. Supreme Court precedent that has treated partisan gerrymandering as a political issue, not a constitutional one.
That precedent makes it unlikely Democrats will be able to overturn the maps. For now, the GOP stands poised to expand its grip on Congress.
What was once a fragile majority could soon grow stronger, thanks to a Texas shake-up that Democrats failed to stop.
For Texas Republicans, the fight is over. For Democrats, the nightmare is just beginning.
