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ARCHIVE - Protesters gather in the rotunda outside the House of Representatives chamber at the Texas Capitol. Photo: Eric Gay/AP/dpa/Archive image
Keystone
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a redistricting bill in the US state that could give Republicans more clout in Washington. "Texas is now deep red in the US Congress," he said in a video on X, alluding to his party's signature color. With this move, Abbott wants to strengthen his own party in the House of Representatives in Washington - where each member of parliament represents one constituency. The Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of the US parliament - i.e. in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In gerrymandering, boundaries are drawn in such a way that one party concentrates as many of its own votes as possible and fragments those of the other party. This allows it to win more seats, even if it does not receive more votes in the congressional elections. Constituencies are actually defined on the basis of the census every ten years. This is now to be circumvented by the law. The 435 seats in the US House of Representatives will be up for election in November 2026.
Texas is one of the most populous states and currently has 38 representatives in the House of Representatives - only California has more. Even minor shifts can therefore change the balance of power in Congress. With the advance in Texas, the Republicans hope to gain up to five additional seats in the House of Representatives. Democratic-led California had already announced its intention to hold a vote on the redrawing of electoral districts - and thus stand up to the Republicans.
29.08.2025, 22:22
