The Texas state assembly yesterday definitively adopted a new electoral map that will allow Republicans to win up to five additional seats in the United States Congress during this year's parliamentary elections, halfway through the current term.
US President Donald Trump has publicly pressured Republican officials in the southern state to implement such a redistricting in order to maintain his current narrow majority in the federal Congress.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott is now set to promote the new map.
"We are on our way to winning five more seats in Congress and saving your rights and freedoms and your country itself," Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, welcoming the move by the Texas government.
The Texas electoral map will be redrawn to dilute the Democratic vote, an electoral redistricting technique called "gerrymandering."
Democratic lawmakers, who are a minority in the Texas assembly, tried to oppose this in various ways, including "fleeing" the state in early August to prevent a quorum, and because of their departure, Republicans were unable to organize a vote on the text for more than two weeks.
The Democratic caucus in the Texas House of Representatives has condemned Republicans' desire to silence minority voters through racist "gerrymandering," saying the new electoral map dilutes the votes of African-American and Hispanic voters who traditionally vote Democratic.
Of the 38 representatives from the state of Texas in the US Congress, 25 are currently Republicans. The White House hopes to have 30 after next year's election.
In response to this Texas initiative, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom will take steps to adjust the map to suit his party.
California Democrats approved legislation Thursday calling for a special election in November in which voters will vote on a redrawn electoral map designed to give Democrats an additional five seats in the federal parliament, the lower house of Congress, next year.
Governor Gavin Newsom quickly signed the bill into law, the AP reported.
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