Trump, Abbott vs. Newsom: Mad dash to redo congressional maps in California, Texas

The high-stakes battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting ahead of next year's midterm elections resumes on Monday in California and Texas, the nation's two most populous states.

In Austin, Texas, state lawmakers gather for a second straight special session called by conservative Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

At the top of their to-do list is passing a GOP-crafted redistricting map that would create up to five Republican-leaning congressional districts at the expense of currently Democrat-controlled seats. 

The Republican push in Texas, which comes at President Donald Trump's urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to pad their razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the par...