On Monday, July 21, Texas lawmakers begin a special legislative session that includes a snap mid-decade congressional re-districting order from Governor Greg Abbott. President Donald Trump says he wants the map redrawn to provide five additional Republican congressional seats. Democratic Texas Congressman Greg Casar says he knows why this redistricting is happening. “Trump knows he can't win the election so he's trying to rig the election before it even starts.”
Casar says he would support Democrats walking out to prevent redistricting from being approved by the Texas state legislature.
The House currently has 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats. Three seats, formerly held by Democrats, are vacant following member deaths, including former U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s Houston seat that Abbott has left vacant.
