Congressional map redraw faces final vote in Texas Senate

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas Senators will vote Friday on a controversial proposed congressional map that is designed to give Republicans an edge to gain five additional seats in the 2026 midterms. The Senate is the final obstacle for the bill in the legislature before heading to the governor's desk.

Republicans hold a 19-11 majority in the Senate, and the map will more than likely pass along party lines, as it did in the Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Senate Democrats could decide to break quorum if all 11 members fled the state in order to block the final vote on House Bill 4. The House Democratic Caucus used that exact strategy to end the first special session earlier this month.

Senate Democrats will not break quorum to block the vote, but they could use another strategy to at least delay the inevitable vote. Senate rules allow members to filibuster a bill.

What is a filibuster?

A filibuster is when a member speaks on a bill for a prolonged time to delay a vote. The legislative move can be used in the Senate but not in the House. The longest ever filibuster in Texas Senate history was 43 hours by State Sen. Bill Meier in 1977.

More recently, State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D - Houston, filibustered a bill for 15 hours in 2021.

There are rules to a filibuster. A member must remain standing and not lean on their desk or chair for the entirety of their filibuster. They are not allowed to eat or drink water, and they must keep their remarks to the bill being filibustered.

The member is allowed to break those rules three times, and on the third time, the full Senate can vote to end the filibuster.

What happens next?

If Senate Democrats do decide to filibuster, it will only delay the inevitable vote. If Republicans prevail with successfully passing the redrawn congressional map, it will then go to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for his signature to become law.

However, House Democrats have already pledged they will take the map to federal court to block its implementation. During a news conference in the Capitol rotunda following the House's passing HB 4, State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D - Dallas, said they would take the battle from the House floor to the courts, and then on to the ballot box.