Texas Democrats end walkout as GOP-controlled legislature prepares to vote on redistricting maps that could flip five congressional seats to Republicans

Republicans in the Texas House forced returning Democrats to around-the-clock surveillance by state Department of Public Safety officers to leave the floor.

California Republican leaders are fighting back against a proposal that Democrats released last week to redraw congressional district boundaries.

As state leaders threaten a redraw of their maps, Republicans may have an advantage over their Democratic counterparts due to local laws impeding partisan gerrymandering attempts.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Democrats are making a partisan push to draw new congressional districts and reshape the state’s U.S. House representation in their favor, but to pull it off, lawmakers returning to the Capitol on Monday face a tight deadline and must still win voters’ approval.

Former President Barack Obama waded into the debate over redistricting in a zoom call with Texas House Democrats on Thursday, warning of a “systematic assault on democracy” spurred by Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in Texas.

Texas Democrats plan to end their walkout over redistricting, returning only if Gov. Abbott concludes the special session, amid ongoing tensions surrounding district redraws.

Democrats have struggled to find effective ways to oppose President Donald Trump, and even some Democratic voters describe the party as weak.