Texas congressional map clears final hurdle in Senate, now awaits Gov. Abbott's signature

by ABIGAIL VELEZ | KABB

Updated Sat, August 23rd 2025 at 7:20 AM

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FILE - Lawmakers pray during a House meeting on Monday, Aug.18, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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AUSTIN, Texas (KABB) — The Texas Senate approved a new congressional redistricting map that could give Republicans five additional seats in Congress, sending the bill to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for final approval. Abbott is expected to sign it quickly.

The vote came in the early hours of Saturday after Democrats’ last-ditch effort to delay the bill was cut short.

Senate Democratic Caucus Leader Carol Alvarado, who had prepared to launch a marathon filibuster, never got the chance to begin.

Alvarado had announced her intention to speak for hours in opposition to the bill.

The Houston Democrat prepped for the filibuster with an IV infusion, hot yoga, and a catheter, according to her team-- recalling her record-setting 15-hour filibuster in 2021 against a Republican elections bill.

But her plans were derailed late Friday evening, after the Senate took a three-hour dinner break that pushed her speech off until after midnight.

When lawmakers reconvened, Republican Sen. Charles Perry moved to block the filibuster, pointing to a campaign fundraising email Alvarado sent during the recess. He argued it would be inappropriate to allow her to proceed after tying the planned speech to political fundraising.

The procedural maneuver blocked her filibuster on that technicality and forced an immediate vote.

Moments later, the GOP-drawn map was approved along party lines and sent to Abbott.

The new congressional lines were strongly pushed by President Donald Trump, who has called on Republican-led states to shore up GOP control in Washington ahead of the 2026 midterms. Texas’ map creates five new Republican-leaning districts, potentially padding the party’s slim majority in the U.S. House.

Democrats argue the map is racially discriminatory and politically rigged. They vow to challenge it in court, part of a broader national battle over redistricting.

The Senate’s overnight showdown capped weeks of partisan turmoil at the Texas Capitol. More than 50 House Democrats fled the state for two weeks to stall the map, and Republican leaders responded with threats of arrest.

The tensions culminated with Friday night’s dramatic adjournments, recesses, and ultimately the end of Democrats’ resistance. People watching from the Senate gallery shouted “Fascist!” and “Shame!” as Republicans moved to cut off Alvarado’s filibuster before approving the maps.

Abbott is expected to sign the legislation quickly, setting up inevitable court battles.