When “Find the Votes” Becomes “Find the Seats”: Texas’ Mid-Decade Redistricting

In 2020, Donald Trump infamously urged Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find” just enough votes to flip the state. Two years later in Texas, Republicans used a different playbook — not finding votes, but finding seats. Through mid-decade redistricting, they reshaped the political map to lock in power, showing that in modern politics, the lines you draw can matter more than the ballots you count.

Texas at an Impasse: Redistricting Battle Heats Up

The Texas Senate has approved a new redistricting plan that could give Republicans five more seats in Congress. The vote took place after Senate Democrats Judith Zaffirini and Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa remained in the chamber, enabling Republicans to secure the required number of members to hold the vote. Both voted against the plan, but their presence broke the Democratic attempt to block it.

The Texas House still hasn’t voted on the plan because most House Democrats are out of state, preventing a quorum. They’ve held out despite legal pressure from Republicans, and they could block the vote until the end of the special legislative session. 

Governor Greg Abbott says he’ll call another special session if they don’t return.

Today, Texas House Democratic lawmakers—who fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum and stall a congressional redistricting vote— announced they’re willing to return if two key conditions are met. They insist on a legislative “sine die” adjournment on Friday as promised by the Texas House Speaker, and the rollout of California’s redistricting maps to counterbalance Trump-Abbott’s move. THDC Chair Gene Wu framed this as a coordinated national response against “Trump's assault on minority voting rights,” positioning the return as a tactical decision tied to mounting legal and political pressure.

California Governor, Gavin Newsom-D, commented that he is going on the offensive–California will move forward with their redistricting to “fight fire with fire.” It is a message to other Democrats as much as it is to Republicans:

Democrats cannot win this war if they remain complacent. 

The Ripple Effect: Georgia’s Redistricting and National Consequences

Gerrymandering is a practice as old as time. It is a tool the GOP have used to dismantle a democratic system while also disenfranchising marginalized groups. Georgia, a state with a rapidly diversifying demographic, is one of many states whose political maps are still largely redrawn to entrench one party’s power. 

Maps approved by the Republican-controlled state have a history of “packing” and “cracking” minority voters to dilute their influence and give Republicans disproportionate control over the state legislature, even when Democrats win statewide races. Entrenched majorities can then pass destructive legislation such as voting restrictions, education policy changes, anti-LGBTQ+ measures, etc. without fear of electoral backlash. This furthers their domination over the state and makes it hard to break out of the partisan lock in the future as well. 

Georgia’s situation mirrors movements in North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, where Republicans are openly acknowledging their intent even as Texas Democrats and the public are largely opposed. The Trump administration demands Texas to redistrict their maps to help Republicans maintain their slim House majority ahead of a potentially difficult midterm election. Democrats responded to this by fleeing the state in order to prolong the new map– all of which shows the effects of gerrymandering before the redistricting has been finalized and the current administration's abuse of power.

Matching the Energy, Winning the Narrative

In Texas, explicitly biased actions have heightened political tensions and escalated redistricting wars across the country. As other states consider their own redistricting efforts in retaliation to Texas and in an effort to preempt GOP gains, the people of this country suffer. This growing partisan gamesmanship stands in stark contrast to the ideals we pledge to uphold: “...one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”.

As a nation, we no longer stand by this pledge as we watch democracy take a turn for the worse. 

If Democrats across the country took a page from Governor Newsom’s playbook—matching energy with energy, boldness with boldness—they could reshape public perception, take the fight to Republicans where it counts, and make it clear that attempts to manipulate power will be met with equal force.

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