Texas GOP Plans Redistricting Amid DOJ Racial Gerrymandering Claims

Texas Republicans, led by Governor Greg Abbott, have initiated plans to redraw the state's congressional district maps during a special legislative session, following a Department of Justice letter alleging racial gerrymandering in four majority-minority districts held by Democrats. The GOP aims to create up to five additional Republican seats to strengthen their slim majority in the U.S. House, despite warnings from experts that aggressive redistricting could backfire politically and legally due to Texas's increasing diversity and ongoing court challenges to previous maps. Democrats strongly oppose the move, viewing it as an attempt to dilute minority voting power and calling for a national counterstrategy including similar efforts in Democratic-controlled states. Republican leaders insist the redistricting is necessary to comply with the Constitution, though some within their ranks express skepticism about the feasibility and risks of the effort. The dispute highlights broader tensions over partisan control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterms, with both sides preparing for potential electoral and legal battles.