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Texas Democrats have blocked their state’s House of Representatives from advancing a redrawn congressional map sought by President Donald Trump, aiming to strengthen Republican prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.Democrats fled the state Sunday, forcing Republican lawmakers to suspend legislative work. Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to remove absent members, claiming some may have “forfeited their seats” or committed felonies. Democrats dismissed the threats as beyond his legal authority.The standoff has spilled beyond Texas. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her state will try to redraw its districts as quickly as possible if Texas proceeds, calling it “all is fair in love and war.” California, Maryland, Illinois and New Jersey are weighing similar moves.Republican-led states are also eyeing mid-decade redistricting. At least one Missouri lawmaker says they've seen White House pressure to redraw their maps, and Florida’s governor cites post-pandemic growth as a reason to potentially redraw their districts. Ohio is required to redraw after the 2022 map couldn't be agreed upon on a bipartisan basis. Mid‑decade redistricting is unusual, and maps are usually updated once a decade after the census, but political stakes are high.University of Houston’s Brandon Rottinghaus warned, “The more frequently this happens, the harder it is for the voters in those areas to understand where they stand, to get the representation that they need.”With Congress split 219-212, both parties are searching for any edge ahead of next year’s midterms.