Texas enacted new congressional district boundaries on Aug. 29, 2025, the first state among many that are considering map redraws ahead of the 2026 U.S. House elections.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed the new map into law in a video posted to X, saying, “I’m about to sign the law that creates the One Big Beautiful Map that ensures fairer representation in the United States Congress for Texans.” Republicans could net up to five additional U.S. House seats under the new map.
From the beginning
Texas’ mid-decade redistricting effort began in July 2025, when President Donald Trump (R) urged Texas legislators to redraw the state’s congressional map to help Republicans retain their U.S. House majority in the 2026 elections. Republicans currently have a 219-212 majority in the House, with four vacancies. Republicans represent 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional districts.
Abbott said he added redistricting to the legislature’s special session agenda this summer “in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice,” which on July 7, 2025, had sent a letter to Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) suggesting that the state’s 9th, 18th, 29th, and 33rd congressional districts were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.
After dozens of Democratic Texas legislators left the state to prevent a quorum in the Texas House, Abbott ordered the state’s Department of Public Safety to find and arrest absent Democrats. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R) said he requested help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Without a quorum, the first special session concluded before a new congressional map could be passed, and Abbott called a second special session on Aug. 15. In the meantime, both Democratic and Republican states across the country had joined or were considering joining the mid-decade redistricting movement. Democratic state legislators returned to Texas, and with a quorum, the House and Senate approved a new congressional map along party lines.
On Aug. 20, the Texas House voted 88-52 to approve the map, and on Aug. 23, the Texas Senate voted 18-11 along party lines to approve the new congressional district boundaries, sending the bill for Abbott’s signature.
Redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections
Twelve other states have congressional maps that are subject to change before the 2026 elections. Eight are considering voluntary redistricting, three have maps that are subject to change due to litigation, and one is required by law to redistrict.
Notable recent developments include an Aug. 25 court decision that could result in an additional Democratic district in Utah and California’s scheduling of a Nov. 4, 2025, special election for a constitutional amendment to redraw the state’s congressional district boundaries through 2030.
The map below shows the states with congressional district boundaries subject to change before the 2026 elections.
