Texas, Aug. 23 -- The Texas Senate on Saturday (local time) approved a new Republican-leaning congressional map, paving the way for Governor Greg Abbott to sign it into law, The Hill reported.

The new Texas map secures an additional five Republican-leaning congressional districts, shifting the balance of power ahead of competitive midterm elections expected in 2026.

The legislation cleared the Senate by 18 votes to 11, with Democrats opposing what they described as a partisan attempt to force Republican control. The move followed a similar party-line passage in the Texas House, where Democratic lawmakers had earlier staged a two-week boycott before returning to the chamber.

The Senate had initially passed the proposal during a previous...