Supreme Court allows Texas Republican map drawing in 2026 election
The Supreme Court has allowed Texas to use a Republican-friendly congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections despite claims of racial bias.
Democrat Taylor Lehmet won the Texas Senate special election on January 31, overturning the district’s green light for the 2024 presidential election that gave President Donald Trump a 17-point victory over Kamala Harris.
Rehmet, a military veteran and labor union leader, defeated Republican activist and entrepreneur Lee Wambsgans to represent Texas’ 9th Senate District in the Fort Worth area.
“This victory goes to the people who work every day,” Lehmet told supporters, according to multiple reports.
Trump endorsed Wambsgans in the race, urging voters in the district to “go out and vote for a phenomenal candidate” in a post on Truth Social.
“With my full and complete support, Mr. Lee, you can win this election,” the president said.
The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that the state Senate victory is “another sign that Democrats have momentum heading into November,” referring to midterm elections that could shift the balance of power in Washington later this year.
Democrats win US House of Representatives seats
The state Senate race wasn’t the only victory for Democrats over the weekend. Democrat Christian Menefee won the Texas special election for the U.S. House of Representatives on January 31, according to multiple reports, narrowing the already slim Republican majority in the chamber.
Menefee, a Democrat and former Harris County attorney, and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are running in the runoff to represent Texas’ 18th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic area that covers parts of Houston and surrounding areas.
However, this election does not necessarily predict which party will win in the November midterm elections. In the 2024 presidential election, then-Vice President Harris defeated Trump in the same district by a margin of 69% to 29%.
Republicans hold a 218-213 majority in the House, an already narrow margin that will shrink to 218-214 if Menefe takes office. Other House vacancies are expected to be filled later this year, with special elections scheduled in Georgia, New Jersey, and California in March, April, and August, respectively.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was already facing difficulties passing the bill beyond the current Republican majority.
Menefe is expected to take office soon, but this is not certain. In fall 2025, Johnson postponed the swearing-in of current Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva after a special election in Arizona. She won that race in September, but was not sworn in until mid-November.
Future issues to watch in the U.S. Congress with narrow margins
Menefee steps into the seat that has been empty for months. The U.S. House of Representatives district has been vacant for most of the past year following the death of Representative Sylvester Turner in March 2025 after just two months in office.
The election comes after Menefee and Edwards were the top two vote-getters among a group of 16 candidates last November. As a member of Congress, Menefee could face votes on controversial issues in the coming weeks. Legislation that would impose stricter operating procedures on federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and other cities across the country and an attempt to restore federal health insurance subsidies remain priorities for lawmakers.
These bills could be among several items decided in close votes. The issue of federal immigration policy, in particular, has been repeatedly challenged following two fatal shootings at the hands of federal authorities in Minneapolis.
Some recent special elections have been strong for Democrats, including a victory in Virginia in September 2025. The victory boosted the party’s hopes of winning a House majority in November’s midterm elections. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be up for grabs.
Contributor: Reuters; Sudiksha Kochi of USA TODAY
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or X @katecperez_.
