Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday called a second special session to push through a redrawing of congressional maps to secure up to five more Republican seats in the US House.

The redrawing begun in Texas weeks ago has been stalled since dozens of Democrats, who are the minority in each chamber, left the state on Aug. 3.

If those conditions are met, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said Democratic lawmakers will return to the Texas House.

Texas House Democratic lawmakers signaled on Thursday they are preparing to end their standoff over redistricting and return to the state.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans ended a legislative session Friday without approving new congressional maps, but they still intend to satisfy President Donald Trump’s wishes for redistricting that bolsters their party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as a multistate fight over control of Congress intensifies.

Sunday afternoon, State Senators launched a public hearing on a bill to redraw congressional voting districts in Texas. The hearing, comes two days after Governor Greg Abbott called a second special session of the Texas Legislature.

The Texas House is scheduled to try convening a quorum again at noon, with absent Democrats expected to return.

Texas Democrats are fretting over a likely primary battle between Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and Greg Casar (D-Texas) as Republicans move toward passing a new congressional map that pits the two incumbents against each other.

Texas Democrats were expected to return to Texas and end their two-week walkout Monday, paving the way for Republicans to pass a redrawn congressional map.

The blistering Texas summer is usually a time when candidates announce their campaigns and begin raising money for the election year ahead. This Texas summer has been cooler than normal, and so has the announcement period for some of the high-profile 2026 races.

Texas Democrats who oppose a controversial Republican-led redistricting plan appear to be shifting strategy from walkout to holding protest rallies.