Trump-led Texas redistricting gambit ignites national arms race to control US Congress
Texas Republicans move to redraw congressional map, prompting threats of retaliation from Democratic governors in other states
The escalating political fight over the Texas congressional map was spreading across other states across the country, triggering an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting arms race with the balance of power in Washington at stake.
At President Donald Trump’s urging, Texas Republicans have proposed new congressional districts aimed at flipping five Democrat-held US House seats in next year’s midterm elections, further skewing what was already considered a deeply partisan map in that state.
In response, Democratic governors elsewhere - most notably Gavin Newsom of California, the only state with more congressional districts than Texas - have threatened to retaliate by mounting their own redistricting efforts.
“Donald Trump is a cheater, and so is Governor Greg Abbott,” JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, told reporters on Tuesday. Standing alongside him were several of the Democratic lawmakers from Texas who fled their home state on Monday to deny Republicans a quorum and prevent a vote on the proposed new map.
“As far as I’m concerned, everything is on the table,” Pritzker said.