The Texas-California showdown over redistricting
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 21 August 2025
⏱️ 26 minutes
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Summary
With a vote of 88 ayes and 52 nays, the Texas House passed a controversial new election map on Wednesday night. If approved in the state Senate, the redrawn lines would create five new congressional districts that lean heavily red.
The Texas House vote comes a few weeks after Texas Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an attempt to stall the GOP effort. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) threatened the lawmakers with lawsuits and arrests.
So, they returned with a plan.
Guest host Ava Wallace talks with politics reporter Maeve Reston about how Texas Republicans were able to gain this advantage – and how blue states are responding with redistricting plans of their own.
Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Thomas Lu, Molly Hennessy-Fiske, and Noah Bierman.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Have all members voted? |
| 0:06.6 | Have all members voted? |
| 0:09.4 | On Wednesday night, Republicans in the Texas State House passed a controversial new election map. |
| 0:16.1 | 88 eyes and 52 days, House Bill 4 has finally passed. |
| 0:21.7 | That vote gets Texas one step closer to creating five new congressional districts that lean heavily read. |
| 0:28.6 | It was not a straightforward process. You might have heard a few weeks back about the Texas Democrats who left the state. |
| 0:35.0 | They were trying to stop a vote from even happening. |
| 0:38.4 | These Texas legislators ain't fleeing. These Texas legislators are fighting. They are fighting |
| 0:45.0 | corruption. They are fighting racism. And they are fighting rigging. You may have also heard about |
| 0:51.9 | Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, threatening those Democratic lawmakers with lawsuits and arrests. |
| 0:58.5 | These Democrats, because they broke quorum, have tied the hands of the state to be able to address the needs of our fellow Texans. |
| 1:05.0 | Our fellow Texans are angry at these Democrats for not showing up and doing their job. |
| 1:11.1 | But those Democratic lawmakers came back. |
| 1:14.0 | The vote happened, and now two things are true. |
| 1:17.4 | In 26, when Americans turn out to vote in midterm elections, |
| 1:20.9 | it'll be that much easier for Republicans to hold on to their majority in the House. |
| 1:25.3 | Or it won't be, |
| 1:27.3 | because Democrats are trying to do the same |
| 1:29.4 | thing in the states where they're in control. |
| 1:35.5 | From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post reports. I'm Ava Wallace in |
| 1:41.0 | Farahe-Izadi. It's Thursday, August 21st. |
| 1:44.9 | Today, I talk to post-politics reporter Maeve Reston about the race to redistrict. |
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