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Texas lawmakers have officially unveiled a new congressional redistricting map aimed at securing up to five additional Republican seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Getting into it: The proposed map redraws several key congressional districts, particularly in Democratic strongholds like Houston, Dallas, Austin, and South Texas, shifting boundaries that some say will consolidate Republican voting power. The proposed move would essentially pack more Democratic voters into already-safe blue districts while carving out newly competitive, GOP-leaning ones elsewhere. Under the new lines, President Donald Trump would have carried all five of the new Republican-leaning districts by at least 10%.

Republican lawmakers argue the redistricting is necessary to address what they describe as constitutionally flawed district lines. They also say the changes reflect demographic shifts and voting trends, particularly pointing to growing Republican support among Hispanic voters from the 2024 election.

Democratic lawmakers are pissed over the moves, labeling them as a power grab designed to disenfranchise communities of color and consolidate GOP control. Civil rights organizations have also indicated they will file lawsuits over the plan, while state Democratic lawmakers have threatened to walk out of the state’s special session to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass the maps.

This all comes as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have threatened to push drawing up new district maps in direct response to Texas’s move. Last week, Governor Pritzker said, “everything is on the table” when asked if he would possibly push for redistricting in Illinois.

Governor Newsom echoed Pritzker, saying “we have got to fight fire with fire” and that his next moves would be determined by what Texas would ultimately do.