Republicans Release Congressional Map Adding 5 GOP Seats

Texas House Republicans have unveiled a proposed congressional map that would dramatical alter the state, adding five GOP seats. The mid-decade redistricting effort comes with pressure from President Donald Trump (R) to increase Republicans’ influence in the house.

The draft map, which was introduced by state Rep. Todd Hunter (R), targets Democratic districts in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and South Texas. It would shift the political balance by consolidating Democratic voters into fewer districts and dispersing Republican voters into areas currently held by Democrats.

Under the proposed map, 30 of Texas’ 38 congressional districts would have gone to President Trump in the 2024 election, each by at least 10 percentage points.

Among the most affected are South Texas Reps. Henry Cuellar (D) and Vicente Gonzalez (D), whose heavily Hispanic districts would tilt slightly more Republican.

Dallas-area Rep. Julie Johnson’s (D) seat would be entirely reshaped to favor Republicans, and Rep. Marc Veasey’s (D) district would drop his political base of Fort Worth.

In Austin, Reps. Greg Casar (D) and Lloyd Doggett (D) could be forced into a primary for the city’s lone remaining blue seat.

In Houston, the most dramatic shift comes in Rep. Al Green’s (D) district, which would transform from a majority-minority Democratic stronghold into a Republican leaning seat.

The plan would also create two majority-Black districts, including the historic 18th District, long represented by prominent Black Democrats, which would become even more solidly blue.

The proposed map increases the number of majority-white districts from 22 to 24, while majority-Hispanic districts would rise from seven to eight.

Four of the five targeted Democratic seats would be majority-Hispanic, though some would be closer to 50% Hispanic population.

Democrats have criticized the redistricting push as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, and any approved map is expected to face legal challenges. The Democratic National Committee has launched an initiative to reach out to voters, calling on them to push back against the GOP's effort to change the political landscape in Texas.