Texas' Senate passes Republican-dominated congressional redistricting map

HOUSTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Texas' state Senate on Tuesday passed a Republican-desired congressional redistricting map, as the state House has been in a quorum break since Aug. 4 after dozens of Democratic state lawmakers left for other states in protest.

Nine Democrats walked out of the state Senate on Tuesday while two stayed in the room. The controversial bill, which may give Republicans five more congressional seats in the 2026 midterm elections, was easily passed by a 19-2 vote in the upper chamber.

"We walked out because this session should be about flood relief, not politics. Texans deserve leaders who put people first," said the Senate Democrats who left the session.

Also on Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he will call for another special session this week for the state House redistricting voting.

"There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed," he said.

Local media outlet ABC13 confirmed on Tuesday night that state House Democrats will return to the state, citing flooding relief as their priority. However, so far it is not clear when they will return.

The current congressional map in Texas was drawn in 2021, with Republicans having 25 seats out of Texas's 38. Pushed directly by U.S. President Donald Trump, Texas Republicans proposed new congressional lines in late July to divide up existing districts in Austin, Houston and Dallas in a bid to garner five more seats.

Earlier this month, Trump voiced his full support for the Texas GOP's redistricting plan, claiming that Republicans are "entitled to five more seats" in the 2026 midterms in Texas, the largest red state in the country.

Meanwhile, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin vowed that Democrats will "fight fire with fire," accusing Texas Republicans of trying to "cheat" in elections.