Source: Politics<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump wants lawmakers in Texas to redraw the state\u2019s congressional district map to give Republicans five more House seats, he told reporters Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere could be some other states we\u2019re going to get another three, or four or five in addition. Texas would be the biggest one.\u201d he said. \u201cJust a simple redrawing we pick up five seats.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House and Department of Justice pushed for the redistricting, POLITICO reported Friday<\/a>, and Gov. Greg Abbott asked state leaders to do it during a summer special session. The move is seen as an opportunity for Republicans to prevent Democrats from flipping the house back in 2026, but some see it as a dangerous risk.<\/p>\n Democrats currently control 12 of Texas\u2019s 38 congressional districts. A 13th district anchored by downtown Houston is currently vacant but was controlled by Democrats until the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner last March<\/a>.<\/p>\n Putting more Republican voters in Democratic districts would make those races more competitive, but it also removes those voters from their current Republican districts, diluting the GOP advantage. Those shifts could create the potential for Democrats to win more seats in Texas than they otherwise might.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are playing a little bit of roulette with these maps,\u201d said Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas). \u201cIn a wave election like what we have a potential opportunity for in \u201826, I think it makes these Republicans very vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s allusion to \u201cother states\u201d likely includes Ohio, which is required by law to draw new congressional maps this year and could give Republicans up to three more seats. It is unclear which other states he sees as opportunities for midterm pickups.<\/p>\n