President Donald Trump asked Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) to call the state legislature in for a special session where they could approve new congressional maps that would redraw district lines in favor of Republicans. That began a partisan back-and-forth, with Democratic states such as California and New York threatening to redraw their maps in favor of Democrats. The process of redistricting is complicated and time-consuming, and not every state that has floated mid-decade redistricting is legally allowed to do so. This Washington Examiner series, “Power Lines,” will investigate the process, its local implications, and the hurdles the mid-decade redistricting effort helmed by national political figures will face in court. Part 1 is an in-depth look at how redistricting works in different states. Part 2 investigates why Democrats are disadvantaged in redistricting after the 2010 midterm elections. Part 3 covers the legal considerations of Republicans’ efforts to rewrite Texas’s map.

A looming legal battle over Texas Republicans’ proposed mid-decade congressional map could stretch well past the 2026 midterm elections, casting doubt on whether the state’s altered district lines will be in effect before voters head to the polls in November 2026.