Texas voters head to the polls Tuesday under new congressional maps engineered to help Republicans win five additional House seats in November's midterms. The redrawn boundaries, which fused liberal Dallas neighborhoods with conservative East Texas and shifted lines along the U.S.-Mexico border, follow President Trump's pressure on Republican-led states to alter districts ahead of the 2026 elections.

Democratic voters express concern about losing representation as their neighborhoods are carved into solidly Republican districts. Angela Juergens, a Dallas public school teacher, moved from a district Kamala Harris carried by double-digits to one represented by Republican Rep. Lance Gooden. Meanwhile, some Republicans like Kenneth Crawley in Mission support the changes, saying they reflect conservative values on taxes and border security.

The redistricting has sparked confusion and frustration across the state. Ryan Vannest, a 53-year-old Republican voter along the border, called the partisan maneuvering "extreme" and said it panders to "elite, rich, white folk." The maps have also drawn criticism from longtime residents like Clara Faulkner, an 83-year-old former mayor in Fort Worth, who sees the changes as "outlandish racism" designed to divide communities.