Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) should have listened to his gut feeling.

Abbott, in spring 2025, was gearing up for another reelection bid, having first won the governorship in 2014. Per reporting at the time, Abbott balked when President Donald Trump’s political team asked him and Republican lawmakers, who controlled both legislative chambers in Austin, to redraw the Texas congressional map. MAGA political operatives aimed to boost the Texas Republican delegation in the House from 25-13 over Democrats to a whopping 30-8.