Gerrymandering / Texas

Texas · 38 U.S. House seats

Redrawn mid-decade twice since 2003.

Redrawn mid-decade at the urging of President Trump’s political team, aimed at five Democratic-held seats. House Democrats left the state for two weeks to deny a quorum; the map passed 88–52 and 18–11 when they returned. A federal court in El Paso blocked it as a likely racial gerrymander on Nov 18, 2025; the Supreme Court stayed that ruling on Dec 4 and reversed it on Apr 27, 2026, so it is the map on the 2026 ballot.

NYT rank
#1 of 44
Aggressiveness (NYT)
73 / 99
Seat edge vs. neutral maps
R +6
Map on the Nov 3 ballot
2025

Neutral maps would give Texas about a dozen more competitive or Democratic-leaning seats.

Sources:Texas Legislature OnlineTexas House of RepresentativesTexas SenateSupreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesSan Antonio Current

What each map did

Texas’s U.S. House delegation after each election. Filled = Republican, outlined = Democratic. 2026 is the 2025 map’s target, not a result.

2002
15–17 · 2001 court map
2004
21–11 · 2003 map
2010
23–9 · 2003, court-modified 2006, map
2012
24–12 · 2012 court interim map
2018
23–13 · 2013 map
2022
25–13 · 2021 map
2024
25–13 · 2021 map
2026*
30–8 · 2025 map

Every cycle

2025
Mid-decade · partisan
current map

The mid-decade redraw

Special sessions, called after President Trump’s political team urged Texas Republicans to redraw. The bill was HB 4.

Who
Greg Abbott — Governor — called the session, signed the map
Cody Vasut — Chair of the House select committee on congressional redistricting
President Trump’s political team — Urged the redraw
What happened
  1. Jul 9, 2025
    Abbott calls a special session that includes redistricting.
  2. Aug 3, 2025
    Most House Democrats leave the state, denying a quorum.
  3. Aug 4, 2025
    The House votes 85–6 to issue arrest warrants for the absent members.
  4. Aug 18, 2025
    Democrats return, restoring a quorum, three days into a second special session.
  5. Aug 20, 2025
    The House passes the map 88–52, on party lines.
  6. Aug 23, 2025
    The Senate passes it 18–11.
  7. Aug 29, 2025
    Abbott signs it.

Aimed at the 9th, 28th, 32nd, 34th and 35th districts — from 25–13 toward 30–8.

In court · LULAC v. Abbott: a federal panel in El Paso ruled 2–1 that the map was likely a racial gerrymander and blocked it (Nov 18, 2025). The Supreme Court stayed that ruling 6–3 (Dec 4) and summarily reversed it 6–3 (Apr 27, 2026).

Sources:Texas House of RepresentativesThe Texas TribuneThe Texas TribuneTexas House of RepresentativesTexas House of RepresentativesTexas SenateTexas Legislature OnlineKUTSupreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
2021
Decennial · incumbent-protection

After the 2020 census

A special session after the census gave Texas two new seats (36 → 38).

Who
Greg Abbott — Governor — signed the map
Texas Legislature — Drew it in a special session (SB 6)
What happened
  1. Oct 25, 2021
    Abbott signs SB 6. The two new seats are drawn as safe seats, one for each party (Austin’s 37th and Houston’s 38th).

Fewer competitive districts. Republicans won 25 of 38 seats in 2022 and 2024.

In court · Challenged in LULAC v. Abbott, the same case the 2025 map was later added to.

Sources:Texas Legislature OnlineThe Texas TribuneWikipedia
2011
Decennial · racial

The map a court called intentional discrimination

A special session in June 2011, after the 2010 census gave Texas four new seats (32 → 36).

Who
Rick Perry — Governor — signed the map
Texas Legislature — Drew it (SB 4)
What happened
  1. Jul 18, 2011
    Perry signs SB 4.
  2. 2012
    The map is never cleared under the Voting Rights Act; a federal court in San Antonio draws interim lines for 2012.
  3. 2013
    The Legislature adopts the court’s interim map as its own.
  4. 2017
    A federal panel finds the 2011 maps were drawn with intent to discriminate.
  5. 2018
    Abbott v. Perez: the Supreme Court, 5–4, reverses the finding that the 2013 maps carried over that intent, upholding all but one Texas House district.

Under the court’s interim lines, Republicans won 24 of 36 seats in 2012.

Sources:Texas Legislature OnlineThe Texas TribuneKERA News
2003
Mid-decade · partisan

The 2003 mid-decade redraw

A regular session and three special sessions. Democrats broke quorum twice: House members left for Oklahoma during the regular session, and senators for New Mexico during the second special session.

Who
Tom DeLay — U.S. House Majority Leader — pushed the redraw
Rick Perry — Governor — called three special sessions
What happened
  1. May 2003
    House Democrats leave for Ardmore, Oklahoma.
  2. Jul 2003
    Senate Democrats leave for Albuquerque, New Mexico, for 46 days.
  3. Oct 13, 2003
    The map is signed in the third special session.
  4. Jun 28, 2006
    LULAC v. Perry: the Supreme Court allows mid-decade redraws but strikes the 23rd District.

The delegation went from 17–15 Democratic to 21–11 Republican in one election.

Sources:WikipediaThe Texas TribuneWikipedia

Follow Texas

The 2025 map is in use for 2026. We’ll tell you when a court, the Legislature or a new session touches it again — and what would help that week.

Call on me for…

Email me SuperCitizen's gerrymandering alerts for the state I chose, and the asks I ticked. I can unsubscribe from any email. Privacy