Texas House panel advances GOP redistricting plan, teeing up House vote for next week

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas House panel on congressional redistricting passed a GOP redistricting plan out of committee Saturday morning along party lines and over several Democratic objections.

With a 12-6 vote, House Bill 4, authored by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, moves a step closer to reaching the Texas House floor for a vote in the coming days.

The vote to advance the redistricting plan comes after a 15-hour committee meeting on Friday in which lawmakers heard near-universal opposition to the plan. During Friday’s committee hearing, Hunter said the maps were drawn with partisan performance in mind.

Hunter’s bill would shift five congressional districts to Republicans’ favor, a desire of President Donald Trump as he hopes to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.

Multiple Democratic members of the committee bashed the map Saturday morning moments before voting against the proposal. Some Democratic lawmakers said the newly proposed maps would racially discriminate against Black and brown Texans.

“We are truly doing worse in 2025 Austin than in 1787 Philadelphia,” said Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. “I feel sick in my soul that we have stooped this low.”

Saturday’s vote could also increase the potential for Democratic House lawmakers to flee the state before Hunter’s bill hits the House floor. Before the proposal can go to the House floor, the chamber’s calendars committee has to schedule it on the House agenda.

During Friday’s hearing, Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, who chairs the committee, said the bill could be on the floor as soon as Tuesday.

Democrats have left the state in prior years in order to ensure there was not a quorum, grinding the Legislature to a halt.

In 2021, House Democrats broke quorum to halt a sweeping election bill. Democrats also fled the state in 2003 to prevent a mid-decade redistricting effort. In both 2021 and 2003, the move only delayed votes until some Democrats returned to the Capitol.

Any plan to leave the state would likely be kept under wraps. House rules allow the speaker of the House to use law enforcement to bring lawmakers back to the Capitol.

“Even though Republicans here at the legislature can’t put aside their fear of disobeying Donald Trump, please note this fight is far from over and Democrats will continue to stand,” said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie.