What's next in the redistricting war after Texas' map cleared the state House

• Meanwhile, Democrats seeking to counter Texas' redistricting blitz received a significant endorsement from former President Obama Tuesday.
• Trump's strategy to maintain Republican control and net up to five House seats has positioned Newsom as the face of the redistricting resistance while Democrats vow to fight fire with fire.
• California's redistricting "trigger" measure could also pick up five seats in 2026 for Democrats in an attempt to offset Trump's desired GOP grab.

Driving the news: On Wednesday, the fight heated up, with the Texas House passing its highly anticipated congressional map that could tilt the scales of a closely divided U.S. House.

• But while Trump celebrates a "Big WIN" in the battle for Texas, the wider war wages on.

What they're saying: Former President Barack Obama, speaking at a National Democratic Redistricting Committee event, expressed hope for a "long-term goal that we do not have political gerrymandering in America," multiple outlets reported.

• But he continued, "Given that Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House that is effectively saying: gerrymander for partisan purposes so we can maintain the House despite our unpopular policies, redistrict right in the middle of a decade between censuses – which is not how the system was designed; I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this."

Here's what's happening in the redistricting battle, and where the road leads:

What's next in Texas' redistricting plan?

The Texas Senate will take up the map next — though the chamber is also dominated by Republicans, Axios Austin's Asher Price reports.

• If approved, it will make its way to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk to be signed, possibly by the end of the week.
• Abbott on Wednesday congratulated lawmakers on passing the "One Big Beautiful Map," writing that "[i]t will make Texas, and Congress, a brighter shade of Red."

Catch up quick: Texas Democrats temporarily halted the redistricting plans as they departed for other states to deprive the chamber of its necessary quorum.

• State Republican leadership took severe steps to compel the Democrats to return, with Abbott ordering state police to find and arrest the lawmakers after the state House issued civil arrest warrants.
• On Monday, the House reached quorum after Democrats returned and were put under watch by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Axios' Shafaq Patel and Megan Stringer reported.
• Democrats who returned to the state Capitol were told they could not leave the building unless they had a law enforcement escort. State Rep. Nicole Collier slept in the building and accused the state's House speaker of illegally confining her and threatening her with arrest.

What is California doing in response to Texas?

In the Golden State, Democrats are sprinting to advance their own measure to temporarily redraw their maps.

• "It's on, Texas," Newsom tweeted Wednesday night.
• But the California plan must clear additional hurdles, as voters must weigh in on the constitutional amendment.
• California's initiative would amend a measure that created an independent redistricting commission to do the job every decade after the census. The new maps would be in place for the next three election cycles.

State of play: Democrats in the state's legislature are aiming to vote on a trio of bills Thursday.

• California Republicans asked the state's Supreme Court to pause Newsom's legislation to give the public time to review the proposal, a lawsuit spokesperson for the governor called "laughable."
• The court rejected that petition.

By the numbers: Newsom's bid has a 22-point advantage in support among the state's voters, per an internal memo from a prominent Democratic pollster obtained by Axios.

• David Binder, a prominent Democratic pollster who has long worked for Newsom, found that 57% of California voters backed the redistricting measure, while 35% opposed and 8% were undecided, Axios' Alex Thompson reports.

What's next in other states?

Governors from other blue states have resisted the GOP push, with some even floating their own moves to counter Texas' maps.

• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's state became a refuge for fleeing Texas Democrats. Per NPR, he's left the door open to redistricting — though finding another Democratic seat in the state would be difficult.
• And in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to not stand "on the sidelines" of the redistricting "war." But the process of pursuing a constitutional amendment to authorize new maps couldn't be completed before the midterms, Axios' Jason Lalljee notes.
• Beyond that, Axios' Andrew Solender reports, Maryland and Washington could also become front lines of the battle.

The other side: Several red states are also reportedly considering jumping into the fight, like Missouri and Florida.

• And Vice President J.D. Vance recently turned his attention to Indiana, where Republicans have eyed picking up additional power.
• Timing is in Republicans' favor in Ohio, where a mid-decade redraw was already on the calendar. Both parties are required to agree on the map, per NPR, which did not happen in the prior redistricting cycle.

Go deeper: Redistricting desperation is going viral ahead of 2026