Texas and California — the two most populous states — are at the center of an expanding national battle over congressional redistricting that could determine whether Republicans or Democrats win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections.

At President Donald Trump’s urging, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Republican-dominated legislature muscled through a new state congressional map aimed at flipping five Democratic-controlled House seats. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, and Democratic lawmakers have responded by initiating their own redistricting effort targeting five Republican-held districts there.

Other states, both Republican and Democratic, have either followed suit or threatened to do so. While redistricting must occur e

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