Democrats who fled Texas in order to slow Republicans' plans to redraw voting maps say they have returned to the state capital "victorious".
After a weeks-long standoff, the lawmakers said on Monday they are now "more dangerous to Republicans' plans than when we left," and they will "build the legal record necessary to defeat this racist map in court".
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has already called another session where legislators are expected to approve plans aimed at shoring up the Republican majority in the US House of Representatives in the 2026 election.
But Democrat-led states are now pushing to redo their maps in the hopes of offsetting those gains and possibly taking the majority.
Abbott had said that in "running and hiding from a fight", Democrats also walked away from voting on other issues important to Texas, such as relief funds for areas hurt by deadly floods earlier this summer.
