The Texas House of Representatives gave final passage on Wednesday to House Bill 4, a controversial Republican-backed proposal to redraw the state's congressional maps and potentially add up to five new GOP-leaning districts.

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.

Texas House Democrats who fled their state to stall a Republican redistricting effort returned on Monday, ending their 15-day holdout.

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by state Republican legislators seeking to halt Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) plan to redistrict California’s

The state House has reconvened on Wednesday as GOP lawmakers in the Lone Star State look to push ahead with a newly redrawn congressional map designed for Republicans to pick up five U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The plan, known as House Bill 4, could come to a vote on Wednesday in the House and as early as Thursday in the Senate.

"Trump is trying to steal the 2026 election by rigging the system and changing electoral maps," the event's website states. "We are fighting back."

Trump's push for states to redraw political maps and create more GOP-friendly House seats in time for the 2026 election has raised the stakes.