Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps designed to give Republicans an edge in next year's elections for the US House of Representatives.
After a two-week standoff, where Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88 - 52 vote.
The maps will now go to the Texas Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved.
The new maps create five new Republican-leaning seats, which could shore up the party's US House majority in Washington DC. Democratic-led states are pushing to redraw their maps to offset the loss in Texas.
President Donald Trump backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the chamber, which Democrats hope to eclipse in the 2026 midterm elections.
