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Texas Republicans are planning to redraw their congressional districts this year, five years ahead of schedule. As with most other recent examples of norm-breaking behavior in American politics, the reason for this involves Donald J. Trump.
Earlier this summer, the president asked Texas Governor Greg Abbott to dabble in a little gerrymandering to produce five more Republican-leaning districts in his state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In July, Abbott answered the call, summoning state lawmakers back to Austin for a 30-day special session, in part to begin working on a new district map. (The Texas legislature is in session only once every other year.) The state has been holding public hearings about the redistricting plan; this morning, state lawmakers released a proposed new map that could give the GOP 30 of the state’s 38 House seats and help pad the party’s slim majority.
Not much appears to prevent Texas Republicans from doing this. States typically redraw their congressional districts every 10 years, after a new census is conducted. But the Texas GOP has gone off schedule before, way back in 2003, and the Supreme Court later ruled that the Constitution doesn’t prohibit mid-decade redistricting. There’s been plenty of resistance from Texas voters, who’ve filled public-hearing rooms in protest, and from high-profile politicians, who’ve appeared at rallies and raised money to fight the new map. The state’s Democrats might consider breaking quorum, like they did in 2021 to block a vote on the issue, but GOP lawmakers probably have the leverage to force them back to the table. So far, things are going according to plan for Texas Republicans. They have the votes, and at least right now, they seem to have the political will.
But just as important as whether Texas Republicans follow through with redistricting is how Democrats will respond. A gerrymandering war, in other words, could be on the way. “We’re saying to the Texans, ‘You shouldn’t be going down this path,’” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week. “You want to go down this path? We’ll go down together.” The governors (and wannabe presidential contenders) Gavin Newsom of California and J. B. Pritzker of Illinois both suggested that they will consider redrawing their own state’s districts to favor—or further favor—Democrats. Similar efforts are being considered in New York and Maryland too.
Many experts—and Democrats themselves—have long argued that partisan gerrymandering is undemocratic and unfair. Their embrace of a gerrymandering tit for tat would reflect a new mindset that many Democrats have adopted in the second Trump era: that they should be just as politically ruthless as Republicans—and when the GOP goes low, the Democrats should meet them there.
But two questions complicate this approach. The first is a logistical one: Can Democrats even do what they’re threatening to? “It’s a state-by-state determination,” the election-law expert David Becker told me. Some states, such as California and New York, have independent redistricting commissions, which means that any attempt at partisan gerrymandering would require turning that power back over to politicians—a complicated and slow process. Other states, such as Illinois and Maryland, have laws allowing for a little more flexibility when redrawing maps.
The other, more pressing question for Democrats is whether they should. They certainly may feel inclined to match the GOP’s aggressive tactics, but extreme partisan gerrymandering carries a certain amount of risk, one that Texas Republicans would be undertaking, Becker said. To maximize Republican wins in more districts overall, they might have to reduce their margins in others, making some of those new districts vulnerable in a potential blue-wave election.
All this partisan maneuvering is arguably a race to the bottom. Imagine a future in which every two years, states redraw their congressional maps: Voters would find themselves in a new district several times each decade, unable to get to know the people who are supposed to represent them. “This would do incredible damage to faith in institutions” and add to the cynicism that so many Americans already feel about politics, Dan Vicuña, a senior policy director at Common Cause, told me.
“There appears to be a temptation to meet attacks on democracy with more attacks on democracy,” Vicuña added. It’s up to Democrats to decide if they’ll resist the urge.
Related:
Here are three new stories from The Atlantic:
Today’s News
- Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she will not run for California governor in 2026, choosing to instead focus on supporting Democrats nationwide after her 2024 presidential loss. Harris didn’t confirm any specific future plans.
- An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East region yesterday, triggering tsunami waves that reached Hawaii, California, and Washington. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed this morning that the threat of a major tsunami had “passed completely,” with no significant damage reported.
- The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, despite pressure from President Donald Trump to lower rates, and warned about slowing growth. Officials have signaled potential cuts later this year, as inflation remains somewhat elevated and economic uncertainty increases.
Evening Read
Illustration by Ben Denzer
A Love Letter to Music Listings
By Gabriel Kahane
About a year and a half ago, I was scheduled to play a concert in Vermont when word came that the gig would be canceled because of an approaching nor’easter. I checked out of the hotel early, lobbed my suitcase into the rental car, and hightailed it to New York as menacing clouds darkened the rearview mirror. Brooklyn had been home for the better part of two decades, but after a move to the Pacific Northwest, I was returning as a tourist, and the show’s cancellation augured a rare free evening in the city. There was just one problem: How was I going to figure out what to do with my night on the town?
This used to be easy.
Read the full article.
More From The Atlantic
Culture Break
Ross Harried / NurPhoto / Getty
Read. “Preamble to the West,” a poem by Iris Jamahl Dunkle:
“Can’t lick the witch wind that carries rumors / over shining aurora-lit prairies: / horror of what comes to light at the dawn / of the mind.”
Take a look. These photos capture Guédelon Castle, in France, where builders use 13th-century techniques to re-create medieval craftsmanship.
Play our daily crossword.
P.S.
Lots of you responded to last week’s newsletter about finding simple moments of joy in your daily life, and I’ve loved reading your answers. I’ll share two of my favorites here, as a bit of a prelude to a forthcoming, small-delights-focused issue of the Daily.
Eric wrote in to say that he was inspired by the 2023 movie Perfect Days (which I need to watch!) and is now trying to incorporate a simple, daily gesture into his life: “When I walk out my door to go to work, I try to remember to just stop, stand, look at my neighborhood and the sky, and smile—it may take only 10 seconds, but it begins the public version of my life on the right foot.” Another idea I liked, from Sarah, is buying one new thing at the grocery store every time you visit: “It’s a mini flavor adventure every trip, whether it turns out I’d buy that thing again or not.”
Stay tuned: More tips coming soon!
— Elaine
Rafaela Jinich contributed to this newsletter.
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