Playing Mapmaker: How a Republican Redistricting Plan in Texas is Creating a Nationwide Uproar

Protesters rally against an Ohio redistrciting plan (2021). Credit: Paul Becker from Flickr

The Texas state legislature was midway through a special session to presumably address the historic flooding at the beginning of the month when the White House recommended they add another thing to the agenda: A redistricting plan.

Earlier this month, in a CNBC interview, President Donald Trump stated, “We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats… I got the highest vote in the history of Texas… and we are entitled to five more seats.”

Through a method known as “gerrymandering,” republicans plan to shift the congressional district lines for their own party’s benefit. The proposed map increases the number of districts that favor Trump by more than 10% from 25 out of 38 to 30 out of 38. Texas democrats, limited in their means of resistance, decided to break quorum and leave the state on August 3. Most packed their bags to the democratic hubs of Boston, New York City, and the state of Illinois.

This is not the first time Texas democrats have done this. In 2002, republicans gained control of the House and thus secured a trifecta over all branches of state government for the first time since Reconstruction (1865-77). A year later, Texas republicans redrew the maps so as to increase their chances at reelection. Jim Dunnam, then a Democratic member of the House, led fellow democrats in walking out, only going as far as neighboring Oklahoma. Democrats also used this method to protest voting restrictions in 2021. Though the Texas Supreme Court upheld this action as constitutional, democrats eventually returned, and the legislation was passed.

A quorum refers to the minimum number of assembly members needed to validate proceedings. Texas requires two-thirds of all House and Senate members to be present to conduct business. Whilst the Senate has still been able to function, and has passed the redistricting plan, the absence of the democrats is stopping the House from conducting business and passing this bill.

In response, Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Attorney General Paxton (R-TX) are now demanding the Texas Supreme Court expel the lawmakers, whilst President Trump suggested the FBI “may have to get involved.” Furthermore, Abbott, alongside many republicans, is criticizing the democratic lawmakers for abandoning their oath and “turning their backs on the state of Texas.”

House Democrat Caucus Leader Gene Wu claimed denying the governor a quorum was a fulfillment of his oath and that “[Texas Democrats] are hoping the next special session won’t be corrupt.”

The fighting has extended beyond Texas. The governors of California, Illinois and New York have voiced the possibility of copying Texas’s partisan redistricting, with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vowing to “meet fire with fire.” Republicans now are looking at Ohio, Missouri, Indiana and Florida to eke out any additional seats there.

Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of electoral boundaries for the purpose of favoring one political party or demographic. The term was coined after Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who changed congressional district lines to weaken the voting power of the opposing federalists. A man concerned with “the evils [of an] excess democracy,” he succeeded by turning an almost 50/50 Democratic-Republican to Federalist split into 29 Democratic Republicans and only 11 Federalists.

This tactic has also been used to limit the power of minority voters. In 1882, South Carolina’s “Boa Constrictor” district lumped most of the black population into one district, so despite the state having a majority black population, there was only one black representative.

Gerrymandering also reduces the need for incumbent politicians to appeal to a bipartisan voting base by creating districts where the opposition party will likely almost always lose. It is estimated that only 10% of all congressional districts are competitive (<5% swing for one party).

In Texas, if the new plan goes through, the state house will likely become 79% republican. However, Texas is not as red a state as some might think. In the 2024 election, President Trump received 56.3% of the vote, with Kamala Harris getting 42.4%. Four years before and Joe Biden received 46.5%. This would mean about 40-45% of the state population would only receive 20% of the representation in their state House of Representatives.

There have been measures to combat gerrymandering. In the case of New York or California, independent commissions draw the maps, not the politicians of the incumbent party. However, both state governors have proposed disbanding these commissions if the Texas map is implemented.

It is unclear as to how far state politicians will go in this mid-decade drawing competition in order to win control of the House, something imperative to either push forward or push back against the Trump administration’s policies.