AUSTIN – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the state’s controversial new congressional map into law Friday, two days after he asserted at a press conference that the redrawing — done at the behest of President Donald Trump — will hold up in court.
Organizations representing the state’s Black and Latino voters have already sued to block the redrawn map from going into effect, and a three-judge panel has set an early October for a hearing on whether it unconstitutionally limits the voting power of minority groups.
“We have every reason to believe we will prevail in that litigation,” the Republican governor told reporters Wednesday. “Those maps should go into effect very quickly, and it’s going to result in five new Republicans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the great state of Texas.”
While Abbott was more than happy on Wednesday to trumpet the map’s passage through the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature, the signing was actually a lonely affair. The governor opted to add his signature via a social media video rather than with an entourage present.
“Texas is now more red in the U.S. Congress,” Abbott boasted in the clip.
Abbott called a special legislative session earlier this summer after Trump urged Texas leaders to help bolster Republican seats in the U.S. House. The president’s approval rating remains underwater in most polls, suggesting his party stands to lose control of the chamber.
Texas House Democrats fled the state to prevent the redrawn maps from passing in the lower chamber. However, with Republicans holding majorities in both the House and Senate, those efforts were ultimately futile.
Even so, Texas Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said the fight over Abbott’s attempt to tilt the midterm scales is only getting started.
“This will hurt every Texan, especially the Latino and Black communities cut up in this gerrymandered map,” Castro said in a statement. “Republicans have rigged the system to keep power in their hands, not earn it. This isn’t democracy at work, it’s voter suppression — and all Texans will suffer the consequences.”
“The fight doesn’t end here,” he added. “It moves to the courtroom.”
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This article appears in Aug 21 – Sep 2, 2025.