The Texas Legislature released a new congressional map Wednesday morning detailing Republicans’ plans to dramatically expand their foothold in the state at the urging of President Donald Trump.
The new maps aim to help Republicans pick up five additional seats in next year’s midterm elections, putting Texas at the center of a Republican campaign to retain control of the U.S. House in 2026, according to a Hearst Newspapers analysis.
The biggest proposed changes are in Houston, the Dallas-area, Austin and South Texas, where several districts currently held by Democrats are remade to be more favorable to Republican candidates or combined together. Under the proposal, millions of Texas voters will now end up with new congressional representation.