Texas redraw sparks gerrymandering fight nationwide, fueling voter power battles in states across the political divide.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law a bill to redraw the state’s congressional maps at the behest of President Donald Trump in an effort to flip five US House seats held by Democrats to Republicans.
The Texas map, drafted in the rare mid-decade redistricting, prompted fierce protests from Democrats and sparked a gerrymandering tug-of-war for voters in states across the country.
“Texas is now more red in the United States Congress,” Abbott said in a video post on social media, after signing the bill with a marker.
The head of Texas’s Democratic Party criticised Abbott, saying he and Republicans “effectively surrendered Texas to Washington” with the new map.
