Texas Republicans Vote for Gerrymandered Map

Two Democrat held congressional districts in Dallas Fort Worth

- Lauren Gambino

The Texas senate paved the way for a redrawing of the state's voting districts yesterday. California was also poised to change its congressional boundaries in an extraordinary tit-for-tat over gerrymandering aimed at tilting the map in the Republicans' favor for next year's midterm elections.

The nation's two most populous and ideologically opposed states raced toward redistricting votes. As Democrats in Sacramento worked to advance a legislative package that would put their "election rigging response act" before voters in a special autumn election, Republicans in Austin were nearing a final vote on their own gerrymandering.

Approval by the Texas senate concluded a dramatic showdown with the state's outnumbered Democratic lawmakers, whose two-week boycott captured national attention.

The California plan, led by the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, is designed to flip five Republican-held seats in California - the number of additional seats Trump has said he is "entitled to" in Texas.