Eric Flores enters race for Texas' 34th Congressional District, a battleground that President Donald Trump won by five points, challenging Democratic incumbent Vicente Gonzalez.

Why is the Texas Republicans' redistricting gambit a story with importance far beyond the Lone Star State? There are several reasons.

Lawmakers will have 30 days to tackle a packed agenda outlined by Gov. Greg Abbott, from flood relief to redistricting to THC products.

Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas' seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, while Democrats have 13 seats.

Actually derailing the redistricting effort, which was one of nearly 20 items added to the special session agenda by Gov. Greg Abbott, would be a herculean lift fraught with risk for legislative Democrats. Delaying the process with a walkout would require strong participation by most of the party's caucus, and could carry steep financial costs.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its rating of the 2026 Texas Senate race from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican” this week as the contentious GOP primary between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton rages on.