(Houston) The Chamber of Representatives of the Texas Parliament approved on Wednesday a redistribution of his electoral districts wanted by Donald Trump, which would probably allow the Republicans to garner five additional seats in the Congress in Washington in the mid-term elections in 2026.
Pushed by the president, the Texas Republican officials decided to modify the electoral card so that the Democratic vote is diluted, a technique called “Gerrymandering”. Of the 38 deputies of Texas at the Congress in Washington, 25 are currently Republicans, and the ambition for the White House is to bring this figure to pass to 30 next year.
The redistribution proposal was adopted with 88 votes for and 52 votes against. It must now be approved by the Local Senate, a majority of Republican, before being promulgated by the Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
Photo Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press Archives
Texas Republican Governor, Greg Abbott
The Democrats, in minority in the Texan Parliament, tried as best they can to oppose it.
They fled the state in early August, taking refuge in Chicago or New York, so that a quorum is not reached. Their departure had prevented the Republicans from organizing a vote on the text for more than two weeks.
In particular, they denounce the will of the Republicans to “silence the voters of the minorities by a racist” gerrymandering “”, believing that the new electoral card dilutes the voices of the African-American and Hispanic electorates which, mostly, traditionally vote democratic.
But their return to Texas, announced on Monday, said that the way was open to the adoption of the new electoral card.
To respond to the initiative of the Texans Republicans, California, governed by Democrat Gavin Newsom, announced its intention to redraw the most populous state electoral card in the country.
Photo Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Archives
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom
The Governor and Californian parliamentarians thus presented a bill on Monday to organize a referendum in this direction.
If Californian voters approved it on November 4, the local parliament, where the Democrats are in the majority, will be able to set up a new card which should ensure five additional seats in the United States Congress, as in Texas.
“California and the Californians were the favorite target of the Trump administration and we are not going to stay in the arms while it orders Texas and other states to fuel the next election,” Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Monday.
Beyond Texas, the Trump administration would also like to redraw in its favor the cards of Ohio, Missouri, or even Indiana.
