Austin, 23 Aug

The Texas Senate gave final approval to a new, Republican-leaning congressional voting map early Saturday, sending it to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature.

US President Donald Trump has pushed for the map to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. It has five new districts that would favor Republicans.

Abbott, a Republican, is expected to quickly sign it into law, but Democrats have vowed to challenge it in court.

The effort by Trump and Texas' Republican-majority Legislature prompted state Democrats to hold a two-week walkout and kicked off a wave of redistricting efforts across the country.

Democrats had prepared for a final show of resistance, with plans to push the Senate vote into the early morning hours in a last-ditch attempt to delay passage.

State Senator Carol Alvarado, leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, had announced on social media that she planned to filibuster the bill with a long speech and intended to speak for several hours in a last-ditch attempt to push off the final vote. But just when she expected to start, the Senate broke for a long dinner break.

Alvarado's delay tactics were the latest chapter in a weeks-long showdown that has roiled the Texas Legislature, marked by a Democratic walkout and threats of arrest from Republicans. Much of the drama unfolded in the House, — where the map ultimately passed Wednesday.

“Republicans think they can walk all over us. Today I'm going to kick back,” Alvarado wrote on social media Friday. “I've submitted my intention to filibuster the new congressional maps. Going to be a long night.”

Democrats had already delayed the bill's passage during hours of debate, pressing state Senator Phil King, the measure's sponsor, on the proposal's legality, with many alleging that the redrawn districts violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting voters' influence based on race — an accusation King vehemently denied.

“I had two goals in mind: That all maps would be legal and would be better for Republican congressional candidates in Texas. There is extreme risk the Republican majority will be lost in the US House if the map does not pass,” said King, a Republican.  

The showdown in Texas has inflamed a broader, state-by-state redistricting battle, with governors from both parties pledging to redraw their congressional maps. It was kicked off by President Donald Trump pushing Texas Republicans to redraw the state's US House map to help the party gain more seats in 2026.