Texas Democrats are preparing their final show of resistance against a mid-decade redraw of the state's congressional map

The Texas Senate is debating the controversial GOP redistricting bill that triggered a weekslong House standoff. The Republican-backed proposal, which passed the House in an 88-52 party-line vote on Wednesday, aims to redraw the state's congressional map and produce five new GOP-leaning districts.

The approval came at the urging of US President Donald Trump, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps to give his party a better chance at holding onto the US House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.

Texas state Rep. Gene Wu joined a private strategy call on Thursday with Democratic leaders from other GOP-led states that might also redraw their maps.

Texas lawmakers approved a new congressional map this week at the behest of President Donald Trump, seeking to preserve his Republican Party's slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2026 midterm elections.

Texas lawmakers meet again Friday, when the Republican majority in the Senate could give final approval to their map.

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives returned to Austin on Aug. 18, 2025, but their protest of redistricting efforts continues.