The move will allow Republicans to move forward with their plan to redraw Texas' congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Texas House Democrats confirmed on Monday morning that they are returning to Austin after a two-week standoff with Republicans over proposed congressional maps, potentially clearing the way for Republicans to approve changes that could net Republicans as many as five new House seats next year.

High-stakes redistricting battles unfold in Texas and California as Republicans and Democrats push new congressional maps ahead of 2026 midterm elections.

A second special session that has made approving the map a priority started Friday, as soon as the first one ended.

According to data reported by Voting Rights Lab, roughly 342,000 mail-in ballots were cast in Texas in 2024 compared to nearly 1 million mail-in ballots cast in 2020.

The Texas Senate could move the GOP’s redistricting plan forward in the next few days after the redistricting panel advanced the map on Sunday afternoon.

SAN ANTONIO – The state senate has already pushed another THC ban attempt past its first legislative hurdle, after Gov. Greg Abbott called a second special session Friday.

A second special session that has made approving the map a priority started Friday, shortly after the first one ended.

Dr. Maria C. Gonzalez and Dr. David Mazella, both associate professors of English at UH, are forming a faculty-led entity to replace UH's Faculty Senate, which the university dismantled due to its implementation of Senate Bill 37 in late July.