In the time since Texas started mulling these new voting maps, other states controlled by both political parties – including Florida, New York, Ohio and Missouri – have been mulling political changes to their voting maps.
California lawmakers are currently debating new maps that would give new advantages to Democrats in five districts, which would cancel out changes made in Texas.
A key provision in California says the changed maps would only go into effect if Texas or other states went ahead with changes favouring Republicans.
The changed maps in Texas sparked concerns about gerrymandering – the redrawing of electoral boundaries to favour a political party – which is legal unless it is racially motivated.
Like other states, Texas typically redraws congressional districts once a decade when new population data is released by the US Census.
Texas Democrats contend that redrawing the maps before the next census count in 2030 is being done along racial lines – an argument that has been rejected by Republicans. Voting maps that were approved in 2021 after the last population count are currently being litigated over allegations of racial discrimination.