Description

On this episode: Texas lawmakers are considering mid-decade changes to the state’s congressional map after President Donald Trump called for them to create five additional Republican-leaning districts. In response, some Democratic legislators have left the state to block a quorum, delaying a vote. To help bring you up to speed, we this episode features two interviews: 

• First, Texas Tribune reporter Eleanor Klibanoff details the actions taken by both parties, including fines, legal measures, and debates over “coalition districts” under the Voting Rights Act.

• And in the second half of the show, independent election analyst Nathaniel Rakich breaks down the national context, discussing how states such as California and Florida are weighing similar changes, the procedural and legal challenges involved, and how these developments could affect control of the U.S. House in 2026.

For more:

• Check out Rakich’s work: https://x.com/baseballot 
• Follow along with the Texas Tribune’s coverage of the latest redistricting developments: https://www.texastribune.org/series/texas-redistricting-2025/ 
• Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 
• Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 
• Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.