President Donald Trump and Texas GOP leaders are advancing a mid-decade redistricting plan aimed at creating five additional winnable congressional districts for Republicans, as both parties intensify their strategies to control the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. The push comes as the GOP, which currently holds a narrow majority, anticipates potential seat losses due to political headwinds and seeks to prevent a repeat of the 2018 midterms, when Democrats reclaimed control. Texas state legislators, controlled by Republicans, are set to convene in a special session to overhaul the state’s congressional map, with the goal of shifting Democratic voters into GOP-leaning districts and vice versa. The plan has drawn criticism from Democrats, who argue it represents an unconstitutional power grab and vow to pursue legal action to block the changes.
During a recent press briefing, Trump emphasized the importance of redistricting as a tool for securing GOP dominance, stating, “Texas will be the biggest one. Just a simple redrawing, we pick up five seats.” This assertion comes after a high-level meeting with Texas’ Republican congressional delegation, where he reportedly outlined the redistricting strategy as a key component of his broader campaign for the 2026 elections. The GOP strategy is part of an overarching national effort to maintain control of the House and prevent the kind of Democratic resurgence that occurred in 2018, when Republicans lost over 40 seats in the midterms.
The redistricting plan in Texas is not without its risks. Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser warned that while the initiative could increase the number of safe Republican seats, it may also make some current safe seats more competitive, potentially alienating incumbent lawmakers who are wary of facing more volatile districts. Nonetheless, the GOP sees this as a necessary trade-off to expand their majority. The strategy is also supported by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, both of whom are staunch Trump allies and have raised the issue of constitutional concerns raised by the Justice Department over minority-dominated districts as part of their justification for the redistricting efforts.
Democrats, meanwhile, have vowed to challenge the plan legally, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling it a “power grab” and stating that they would “push back aggressively.” The party is also considering similar redistricting initiatives in other states where they hold power, such as California. California Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly expressed support for a mid-decade redistricting effort in the Golden State, though the current independent commission tasked with drawing maps is not designed to allow partisan influence. Newsom has suggested that lawmakers may need to consider bypassing the commission, potentially through a special election to repeal it, though this faces significant political and legal hurdles.
Other battleground states are also witnessing a surge in redistricting litigation. In Wisconsin, Democrats have sought to alter the state’s congressional maps, but the state’s liberal Supreme Court, which recently shifted to a democratic majority, has denied their request. However, Democrats are preparing to launch a second legal challenge in the state. Similarly, legal action has been filed in Utah and Florida, both red states, as Democrats attempt to reshape congressional boundaries to their advantage. In Ohio, which is required to redistrict this year, a new map could potentially provide the GOP with up to three additional seats, adding to the national race for congressional control.