Gov. Abbott calls for redistricting in special session, sparking outrage from Dems

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AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday released his special session agenda for lawmakers when they return later this month.

The agenda listed 18 items like THC regulation and flood relief, but also included the topic of redistricting.

Under the topic of redistricting it reads: "Legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice."

The plan seems to include three districts in the Houston area and one Dallas-area district. 

All are Democratic districts. Some Democrats say the attempt is a "coordinated power grab" to hold the Republican's narrow majority in the U.S. House.

Republicans argue the districts are racially gerrymandered to give Democrats an advantage.

What they're saying:

"Governor Abbott’s decision to call a special session on redistricting while ongoing floods—responsible for the deaths of more than 100 Texans, including school-aged children—continue to devastate the state is nothing more than a craven power grab and absolutely disgusting," Rep. Marc Veasey said. "This is an order straight from Mar-a-Lago and carried out at the expense of Texans. Let’s be clear: this is not about fairness or constitutionality. This is about the Coward-in-Chief, Trump, and his lapdog, Greg Abbott, trying to rig the system because they know they can’t win a fair fight in 2026."

Veasey represents the state's 33rd Congressional District, which covers large parts of Dallas and Fort Worth. It's one of the districts Democrats said are being targeted in the special session.

The others are three reliably blue districts in Houston: the Ninth, 18th and 29th Congressional Districts.

Rep. Al Green, in the Ninth Congressional District is holding a news conference on Friday to address the "unjust mid-decade Congressional redistricting."

The move is drawing concern, not only from those that feel targeted, but from other Democrats both in Texas and beyond.

"Ordering a redistricting scheme under the cover of darkness is one of the most shameful abuses of power we've seen in Texas in a generation," Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Abbott and House Republicans are "conspiring to rig the Texas congressional map."

In a post on X, Jeffries said the move could make some Republicans in the state more vulnerable.

Republicans currently hold 25 of the state's 38 congressional seats.

What is redistricting?

The redistricting process usually happens every 10 years after new census data is released.

Texas' maps were last redrawn in 2021.

Texas lawmakers drew political maps that would protect the GOP’s majorities in the Texas Legislature, on the State Board of Education and within the state’s congressional delegation to Washington, D.C. Throughout the process, Texas Republicans — nearly all of whom are white — struggled against demographic tides to protect their grip on power.

A lawsuit was almost immediately filed claiming the maps dilute the vote of communities of color.

Those 2021 maps are still on trial.

Texas has had to defend its maps in court after every redistricting process since the Voting Rights Act took effect in 1965.