Texas House ends first special session on redistricting
The Texas House of Representatives ended its first special session on Friday morning without reaching the required quorum to vote on mid-decade redistricting, with only 95 of the needed 100 members present. House Speaker Dustin Burrows adjourned the session “sine die” but indicated that Governor Greg Abbott is expected to call a second special session soon, likely reconvening at noon with Republicans anticipating a quorum and a vote on a new congressional map this weekend.
The delay was caused largely by a group of 62 Democratic House members who fled the state for nearly two weeks to prevent a quorum, opposing the Republicans’ redistricting plan that aims to increase their majority by up to five congressional seats. The Democrats declared they had successfully raised national awareness about the issue and planned to return under favorable conditions to continue the fight, including legal challenges. Their efforts received support from national figures, including former President Barack Obama.
Meanwhile, California is preparing a November special election on a ballot measure to give state lawmakers more control over redistricting, potentially bypassing its self-reliant commission. Critics from both parties warn that aggressive mid-decade redistricting battles like those in Texas and California coudl lead to ongoing conflicts and increased partisanship in Congress. Governor Abbott has pledged to call multiple special sessions until the new Republican-backed map is approved, amid concerns that the GOP seeks to solidify its hold on the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Texas House ends first special session as Democrats prepare to return home
The Texas House of Representatives concluded its first special session on Friday morning after failing to reach a quorum, the necessary attendance required to vote on mid-decade redistricting.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows gaveled out the first session at 10:04 a.m. local time, adjourning the House “sine die.” Only 95 members were present, and 100 members are needed for a quorum.
“Do not go very far, as I believe our governor will be calling us back for another special session very, very soon,” Burrows told the chamber just before closing out the first session, receiving applause.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) indicated this week that he would call a second special session immediately after the first concluded. A source familiar with the Texas legislature said the House will reconvene at noon. Republicans expect a quorum to be reached in the second session, with a vote on a new congressional map expected as early as this weekend, per the source.
A majority of the state House’s 62 Democrats, who fled the state to stall the first session, announced Thursday that they plan to return home after nearly two weeks of being scattered across Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts.
The minority party said during a press conference on Thursday that it “successfully mobilized the nation” against Republicans’ plans to boost their majority by as many as five seats in Texas’s delegation.
“Now, as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, we’re prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts,” Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu said.
The Texas Democrats’ redistricting fight has drawn support from several national leaders, including former President Barack Obama, who streamed into a meeting with the minority caucus on Thursday.
To offset any Republican gains in Texas, California is preparing for a Nov. 4 special election to vote on a ballot measure that would allow the state to redraw its map and circumvent the independent redistricting committee.
A commission, which several states use, makes it harder for California to engage in mid-decade redistricting compared to Texas, which does not have that barrier and instead approves maps through the legislature.
Abbott has said he will call for special sessions until the new map, spearheaded by President Donald Trump and national Republicans, is passed. Democrats have claimed that Republicans are doing mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections because the GOP is afraid it will lose the majority in the U.S. House.
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Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to take back the majority, and Republicans’ recent passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act put several of their centrist, swing-district members in the hot seat as they work to convince voters that the GOP should still have a trifecta.
Redistricting efforts in Texas and California are being criticized by lawmakers and strategists in both parties who are concerned that it will turn into a never-ending war and could make Congress more partisan in the long run.
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