After Democrats returned to the Texas statehouse, Republican leadership assigned law enforcement officers to monitor them to prevent further delays to their plan to redraw congressional voting districts to favor Republicans ahead of the election.

New York Times columnist David Brooks compared Trump's Texas redistricting efforts to 'mustard gas' on democracy, criticizing both parties' gerrymandering tactics.

Republicans required their Democratic peers to have an escort to ensure they returned to the chamber on Wednesday following their two-week venture outside the state to thwart a GOP redistricting effort.

The congressional seat in Texas’ 18th District, a hub of Black political power, has been vacant for months. Redistricting could further disrupt representation for its voters.

New York Times columnist David Brooks claimed that President Donald Trump ordered Gov. Greg Abbott, R-TX, to "mustard gas" American democracy through redistricting efforts in Texas.

"When we return, we will be ready to fight this map with every weapon available - from the streets to the statehouse to the courthouse," said Rep. Ramón Romero Jr., a Fort Worth Democrat who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus said in a Monday statement.

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.