How can Texas Donald Trump help thwart the gains of democracy in 2026

Republicans in Texas are studying a plan that can help thwart possible democratic gains in the middle of the period 2026.

Why do it matter

Democrats at the 2018 “Blue Wave” that will carry them to win the main races throughout the country and help them restore a majority in the US House of Representatives. However, Republicans in Texas are now considering dividing the areas in the Congress regions, hoping to give Republicans an opportunity to turn democratic seats in the state of Lun Star. If it succeeds, this plan can compensate for possible losses in other states.

Tell one of the democratic strategy Newsweek The plan can be a “disaster” for government Democrats.

Newsweek He arrived in the White House Governor and Tixas Greg Abbott to comment via email.

What do you know

Republicans in Texas met on Monday to discuss a proposal to re -draw the border lines in Texas in Congress, said Pete Sessions, whose wide area includes areas near Round Rock, Waco and LuFkin, said on Monday. Texas Tribune.

Some details were announced about the meeting, and the published sessions told that there will be another meeting to discuss data. New York Times It was reported on Tuesday that the Trump political team had discussed whether it would redraw the provinces of the state in a way to strengthen Republicans before mid -time.

The President’s party usually loses seats during the middle of the period. In 2018, the first mid -time Trump, Democrats got 41 seats at home. Democrats hope that if Trump’s approval does not improve next November, they can see similar returns in the elections next year.

Abbott has the authority to call a special legislative session required for such an effort to re -divide the circles, and it is not clear whether it is ready to do so. Re -dividing the circles in the middle of the contract is rare, Although it occurs from time to time, usually after the court announced Unconstitutional map.

Joel Montfurtter, a democratic strategic expert in Texas, said Newsweek Any attempts by “gerrymander” the Congress areas in Texas will be a “real catastrophe for democratic representation in Texas”, and it is likely to violate Article 2 of the voting rights law.

He said: “The Republican Party in Texas has constantly redrawing the Congress areas in Texas in its favor, and depriving the Democrats of their fair representation in our state. While we usually represent 45 percent of the total votes in any specific elections in our state, we have only 13 representatives (40 percent) of 38 in the Texas delegation.”

Montivort specifically referred to two seats from Trump, and is currently represented by the Democrats in South Texas, as it is vulnerable to re -drawing it. These seats are the twenty -eighth region, which is maintained by actor Henry Coellar, and the 34th region, which is kept by actor Vicente Gonzalez.

These two strong democracy strongholds that have turned towards Republicans last year, amid a transformation at the country level among voters of Spanish origin. South Texas has witnessed some of the most clear fluctuations in the country, as Trump has achieved the strongest performance of the Republican Party in years.

“The Democrat won 5 points with 5 points or less in 2024 and they will be goals if the Republican Party tries to repeat the Torah now,” said Mentelvort. “I expect Democrats to have a very strong offer next year, similar to 2018, where we picked up [two] Congress seats, one of which was Pete Sessions Old District 32. “

However, Mark Jones, A colleague of political science at the Baker Institute and Professor of Political Science at Rice University said, Newsweek Which – which Republicans may not actually benefit from re -drawing, describing the idea that Republicans can make great gains as “imagination”.

Jones said: “In 2021, their number increased to the maximum limit of their ability to seats the United States’s home in its possession,” Jones said. “They are now at a stage where there is nothing simply that they do not have to capture them.”

He said that re -drawing the lines may be risky for the Republicans.

If Republicans face the risk of re-drawing the provinces that Cuellar and Gonzalez can expose them to the risk of extending Republican voters through many areas that Republican representatives Tony Gonzales or Monica de la Cruz-which also represented by the competition, are also found, but now more solid group areas in nearby provinces.

Texas, a reliable republican country, turned towards the Democrats in 2010. Democrats turned two seats in Texas, one near Houston and one near Dallas, in 2018, and they were close to flipping in third place in 2020. Republican margins diminished in many other seats that were safe to individual numbers by the end of the contract.

In re -dividing the circles, these areas were re -drawn to give Republican occupations more pillows. Those seats, which were reversed in 2018 by Democratic actors, Lizi Fletcher and Coleen Alrad, were redrawn to be more democratic, with Democratic voters from those areas controlled by the growing Republican Party.

“The efforts to redraw the map” are likely to be fought “strongly by the court.” Newsweek.

“Texas is an attractive place for the president to focus his efforts on preserving the majority of Congress. Therefore, the number of seats available for consideration, but Texas is also ready to partner with the president on his goals, making it the clear goal of this effort to avoid voters as it has been currently created,” he said.

However, he said it was “a huge request”, because it will require the Republicans to make their seats less safe “to return, which may be guaranteed only in one elections, if that.

Neither Trump nor Abbott, a fans, was publicly weighing in the plan. The other Republicans did not comment in Texas, so it is not clear if they support the effort to redistribute the circles.

What people say

Joshua said empty Newsweek: “Although the initial focus was on the number of seats that Republicans might capture, which is likely to be very few, it is also possible that this effort will be in the service of protecting Republicans who may find their seats to challenge with Trump in the White House in 2026.”

Democratic activist Olivia Juliana wrote on X (previously Twitter): “If you are wondering how confidence of Republicans about the middle of the time – Trump’s team is trying to force Texas to redraw our home map so that they can tilt the majority of the house in 2026.”

The actor of Texas told Pete Sessions Texas Tribune: “We want to make sure that all our members, even those who suffer from the new brand, have an opportunity to see this for what it is.”

What happens after that

The political report of Cook classifies three household races as a competitive for 2026-seat that Cuelalar occupies is “Dephumer Lean”, and Gonzalez seat is “Erm”, and the seat occupied by De La Cruz is “a possible Republican.”