WASHINGTON, Aug 23: Texas legislators early Saturday approved a new electoral map aimed at carving out five new Republican-leaning seats in the state to help the party retain control of Congress in next year's midterm elections.
The state senate voted along party lines to pass the map 18-11 shortly after midnight, following more than eight hours of heated debate.
Last week, the state legislature's lower chamber adopted the bill.
Democratic Senator Carol Alvarado's last-ditch plans to filibuster the map were thwarted when Republicans used a rare procedural motion to halt debate, end the filibuster, and proceed directly to the final vote.
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It now heads to Governor Greg Abbott's office, where he is expected to swiftly approve it.
Democratic Senator Sarah Eckhardt said on X that shutting down a filibuster was "unprecedented."
"This is not democracy, this is disgraceful," she added.
The legislation is the culmination of a weeks-long drama that saw Democrats flee the state in an effort to block the vote and drew nationwide attention to the issue of partisan redistricting, known as "gerrymandering."
President Donald Trump had pressured Republican-run Texas to create the new map to help prevent Democratic opponents from taking over the House of Representatives in 2026, halfway through his term.
The cutthroat political gambit spurred California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, to launch a process for redrawing his state's map -- this time creating five potentially new seats for Democrats.
Although Newsom hopes to cancel out the Republicans' advantages gained in Texas, his plan still requires voter approval in an election this November.
Both parties are now looking to other states where the rules might allow hasty redrawing of maps in ways that would create more seats.
The redistricting battle adds a volatile and high-stakes new element to next year's elections.
Republicans currently control both houses of Congress and the party's legislators largely operate to carry out Trump's wishes.
Beleaguered Democrats are hoping that the unpopularity of many of Trump's policies will help spark a takeover of the lower house. If Democrats did win, they would immediately gain power to investigate Trump and his controversial government members.
