All three Democrats are either declared or potential contenders for the Senate seat on the ballot in next year's midterm elections. In what would typically be a quiet period in Texas politics, Republicans have roiled the state's 2026 Senate campaign with their rush to redraw congressional maps to give Trump more allies in Congress.

The Texas Senate is debating the controversial GOP redistricting bill that triggered a weekslong House standoff. The Republican-backed proposal, which passed the House in an 88-52 party-line vote on Wednesday, aims to redraw the state's congressional map and produce five new GOP-leaning districts.

The Texas Senate expected to vote Friday to send the GOP majority's gerrymander to the governor's desk for approval.

The House Democrats who broke quorum to block GOP redistricting and stopped all activity in the chamber for two weeks have each been fined more than $9,000, according to a letter dated Thursday from the chairman of the House Administration Committee.

Texas state Rep. Gene Wu joined a private strategy call on Thursday with Democratic leaders from other GOP-led states that might also redraw their maps.

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett will no longer run for reelection to his seat if Republicans' redrawn House map isn't shot down in court.

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives returned to Austin on Aug. 18, 2025, but their protest of redistricting efforts continues.