New Texas congressional map seeks to give Republicans pathway to win 5 US House seats

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A new congressional map rolled out by Texas Republicans Wednesday seeks to redraw key districts across the state with the intent of gaining five more seats in the House of Representatives from Democrats in next year's midterm elections.

The proposal comes at President Donald Trump's insistence as he seeks to shore up his party's chances at maintaining its hold on the federal legislature in 2026. The map seeks to modify congressional district lines to eat into seats held by Democrats, particularly around the metropolises of Austin, Dallas and Houston.

Two Democratic-held districts near the border with Mexico were also affected.

Republicans currently hold a razor-thin three-seat majority in the House, and any ground that they could gain against Democrats come next year's races could serve to bolster their majority.

The proposed map will now have to go to a vote in the state bicameral legislature, where Republicans hold a majority in both chambers. However, Democrats are expected to pose a legal challenge against the proposal, which critics say violates voting rights laws.

In last year's election, Republicans won 25 of Texas’ 38 seats in the House.

*Contributions by Ahmet Salih Alacaci in Washington