Abbott signs redrawn Texas map into law

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Friday a bill that establishes a new House map, and is expected to give Republicans five additional chances for re-election before 2026.

The approved bill would give the GOP a major victory before the midterm elections, while opponents take it to court.

"I'm about to sign into law the bill that creates the single, big, beautiful map that guarantees fairer representation for Texas in the U.S. Congress," Abbott said in a video posted on social media, thanking several lawmakers and politicians for their work on the map.

The state Senate approved the new congressional guidelines in the early hours of the weekend as Democrats sought to delay their inevitable victory. Texas state Sen. Carol Alvarado (D) planned to stage a multi-hour filibuster when the upper chamber convened shortly after midnight last Saturday, though Republicans quickly dismissed it.

Approval of the Texas map was inevitable given the Republican majorities in the state legislature, along with a Republican governor.

The new House map would allow Republicans to increase their delegation to 30 members instead of the 25 they currently serve, as the president's party prepares for traditional headwinds associated with midterm environments.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder criticized the maps in a statement and vowed the party would challenge them. "This is not over; we will see these clowns in court," he said.