Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Texas Redistricting Map Favoring Republicans

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law on Aug. 29 aimed at flipping five U.S. House seats in the state in Republicans’ favor amid a redistricting battle that includes California.

“Today, I signed the One Big Beautiful Map into law,” Abbott wrote in a statement on X. “This map ensures fairer representation in Congress. Texas will be more RED in Congress.”

The move comes days after the state’s Legislature approved maps to favor Republicans and comes amid intense national debate on partisan districting. California has moved to redraw its own maps in a bid to offset any gains to Republicans that might result from Texas’s changes.

Trump celebrated the passage, calling it “A HUGE VICTORY for our America First Agenda” in a post on Truth Social.

The GOP would control 30 of Texas’s 38 federal congressional districts if it were to win those five seats.

The new map includes combining districts that include Austin, the state capital, into one district. This led to the retirement of Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).

“If this racially gerrymandered Trump map is rejected, as it should be, I will continue seeking reelection in Congressional District 37 to represent my neighbors in the only town I have ever called home,” he said in a statement to multiple media outlets. “If the courts give Trump a victory in his scheme to maintain control of a compliant House, I will not seek reelection in the reconfigured CD37.”

The state House passed the map on Aug. 20.

“I congratulate Speaker [Dustin] Burrows and the Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives for passing congressional districts that better reflect the actual votes of Texans,” Abbott said in an Aug. 20 statement. “While Democrats shirked their duty, in futility, and ran away to other states, Republicans stayed the course, stayed at work and stayed true to Texas. I will sign this bill once it passes the Senate and gets to my desk.”

The bill was introduced by state Rep. Todd Hunter, a Republican.

“The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance,” Hunter said on the floor of the lower chamber.

State Rep. Ana Hernandez, a Democrat, said, “This bill represents one of the most blatant assaults on fair representation we have seen in Texas.”

“Diversity is our greatest strength. It is what makes our neighborhoods vibrant, our workforce dynamic, and our communities resilient. HB 4 silences that diversity instead of celebrating it,” Hernandez said.

Democrats in California have responded to Texas’s redistricting efforts with a plan to redraw their state’s federal congressional map and potentially flip five U.S. House seats in their party’s favor. Both chambers of the California Legislature passed a bill to place on the November ballot a measure that would bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission and adopt a temporary map lasting through the 2030 election.

“California and Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and we are not going to sit idle while they command Texas and other states to rig the next election to keep power—pursuing more extreme and unpopular policies,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an Aug. 18 statement. “This proposal would give Californians a choice to fight back—and bring much needed accountability and oversight to the Trump Administration.”

Maryland, New York, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, and Missouri are considering following Texas and California in redrawing their federal congressional maps.