On August 30, 2025, in a report from Dajiyuan, it was highlighted that the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, signed a bill on Friday, August 29, to redraw the congressional districts of Texas with the aim of securing up to 5 additional House seats for the Republican party in the 2026 midterm elections.
This move by Abbott was quickly followed by Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, who announced a special session to push for a similar redistricting plan in their state. This action is part of a nationwide effort by both the Republican and Democratic parties to gain an advantage in the upcoming congressional elections.
After signing the bill, Abbott took to social media to emphasize, “Texas is now even more red in the U.S. Congress.”
This development is seen as a victory for former President Trump who has been advocating for Republican-led redistricting to enhance the party’s chances of retaining control of the House of Representatives.
However, the newly proposed maps are already facing legal challenges. Voting rights groups and Texas Democrats criticize the maps for weakening the electoral influence of Black and Hispanic voters. Democrats have pledged to challenge the maps in court.
Governor Kehoe of Missouri announced on Friday that a special session of the state legislature will be convened on September 3 to introduce a new congressional district map. The proposal aims to redraw the fifth district, currently held by Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, by including more conservative rural areas outside of Kansas City to favor the Republican party.
“The conservative, common-sense values of Missouri deserve true representation at all levels of government, and the ‘Missouri First Map’ is designed for just that,” said Kehoe.
Trump also praised Kehoe’s actions on Truth Social, calling it an opportunity to “elect one more MAGA Republican in the 2026 midterms.”
Cleaver condemned the new map as unconstitutional and stated that it ignores the 40% of Missouri voters who supported the Democratic party in last year’s election.
In a statement, Cleaver emphasized, “I will not abandon the voice of the people who trust me and fight for them. The constituents of the fifth district and I will persist in ensuring that Missouri never becomes an anti-democratic state, where politicians choose their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives.”
Minority Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives, Ashley Aune, described Kehoe as “Trump’s puppet” and accused him of trying to “steal a congressional seat for the Republican party” and undermine the voting system.
Aune stated, “This is the most significant threat to the integrity of the state government since legislators supporting slavery voted in 1861 for Missouri to join the Confederacy.”
As Republican-led states push for redistricting, the Democratic party is also fighting back. The California state legislature recently passed a new congressional district plan aiming to add up to 5 House seats for Democrats, pending voter approval in a referendum in November.
California Governor Gavin Newsom mocked Abbott on social media as Trump’s “#1 lapdog.”
Currently, Democrats hold 43 out of 52 seats in California, and if the referendum passes, the Democratic advantage will further expand.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans currently hold a slim majority of 220 seats to 215. If Democrats want to regain control of the House in 2026, they need a net increase of at least 3 seats.
Historical data shows that the party of the incumbent president often suffers losses in midterm elections. During Trump’s first term, the Republicans lost control of the House in the 2018 midterms, followed by Democratic-initiated investigations.
To gain congressional advantage, not only Texas and Missouri, but Republican states like Florida, Indiana, and Democratic states like Illinois, Maryland, and New York are considering redrawing districts.
In Utah, a judge recently ruled that the Republican-led state legislature had undermined and disregarded the “Independent Redistricting Commission” established by voters, ordering a redrawing of congressional districts. Under the 2021 maps, Republicans won all 4 seats in Utah.