AUSTIN, Texas – Late last night, the Lone Star State did not fail to disappoint – after state House Republicans passed a racially gerrymandered redistricting bill (HB 4) at the behest of President Donald Trump. The bill passed just after 10 p.m. CST, following nearly eight hours of debate. This move also follows the return of Texas House Democrats, who had fled the state to break quorum and draw national attention to Republican efforts.
Texas House Democrats Warn of Silenced Diversity and Diluted Power
The newly drawn map aims to shift five Democrat-held congressional seats — in areas such as Austin, Houston, Dallas, and South Texas — into Republican-leaning districts. Republicans argue the map reflects population growth and provides “fair representation.” Yet Democrats and voting rights groups counter that it deliberately dilutes the voting strength of Black and Latino communities, whose numbers have driven Texas’ population surge.
“This is about racism. And if you can’t hear it from them, then hear it from me. As a white woman and a daughter of a man of privilege and power, he knew that his strength was to bring people that didn’t look like him to the table of government,” Rep. Ann Johnson (TX-District 134) said on the floor.
Other Democrats, such as Rep. Ana Hernandez (TX-District 143), blasted the bill as “one of the most blatant assaults on fair representation we have seen in Texas,” warning that it “silences diversity instead of celebrating it.” Rep. Chris Turner (TX-District 101) was equally blunt: “This body has no business passing this bill. We need to kill it and get on with the real business of the people of this state.”
Notably, Texas has been sued more than any other state for racial and partisan gerrymanders, with federal courts striking down at least one district in nearly every redistricting cycle over the last half-century.
Following the HB 4 passing 88-52, Rep. Venton Jones (TX-District 100) expressed this: My most sincere reaction is disappointment,” Jones said. “Once again, Republicans continue to make power grabs on the back of Black and Brown communities. We fought for one of the most important issues we have as Texans, and that’s our right to vote. We’re going to still continue to fight. We’re going to take this to the courts.”
Rep. Bucy: “This Is Authoritarianism in Real Time”
Rep. John H. Bucy III (TX-District 136) argued the move undermines democratic fairness and pre-empts the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections, which is seen as a power grab to shore up Republican control.
“This is not democracy, this is authoritarianism in real time. This is Donald Trump’s map. It clearly and deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats in Congress because Trump himself knows the voters are rejecting his agenda,” Rep. Bucy said on the Texas statehouse floor.
Moreover, Rep. Nicole Collier (TX-District 95), participating in a press call from inside the Texas Capitol, was interrupted and told that her location, from where she was talking on the call, was illegal. “Sorry, I have to leave. They said it’s a felony for me to do this. Apparently, I can’t be on the floor or in a bathroom,” she said mid-call. Speaking to someone off-camera, she added, “You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom.” Moments later, she concluded, “No, hold on — bye everybody, I’ve got to go.”
Rep. Collier spent two nights sleeping in the Texas Capitol’s House chamber after she refused to sign a permission slip.
Blue States Strike Back: Newsom Leads Retaliatory Redistricting Push Against Trump-Backed GOP Maps
Meanwhile, Democratic-led states like New York and California are weighing retaliatory redistricting moves of their own, underscoring how Texas has once again become the national epicenter of America’s gerrymandering wars.
California Democrats plan to approve a new map creating five competitive seats in response to Texas Republicans’ GOP-boosting map.
Governor Gavin Newsom is spearheading this high?stakes move to counter former President Donald Trump’s push for redistricting in Republican?led states to secure additional GOP House seats before the midterm elections, tweeting Wednesday on X night, “It’s on. See you in November”.
What Comes Next with Texas’s Racial Gerrymander Bill?
HB 4 is likely to clear the Republican-controlled Senate and reach Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk within days. Democrats and civil rights groups are already preparing lawsuits in anticipation of the bill becoming law. Texas has faced lawsuits after nearly every redistricting cycle for violating the Voting Rights Act. Advocates say this map will be no different.
For opponents, the stakes extend far beyond partisan advantage. They argue HB 4 marks the latest chapter in Texas’s long history of suppressing minority voices at the ballot box. This effort continues a pattern that has spanned generations. But this time, a former president is carrying it out from the shadows. And critics say he is seeking to use it to secure his return to power.
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