Texas Democrats ended a two-week walkout Monday that stalled Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts as part of a national partisan brawl over President Donald Trump's desire to reshape U.S. House maps to his advantage.

Their return to the Texas Capitol will allow the Republican-run Legislature to proceed as California Democrats advance a countereffort to redraw their congressional boundaries in retaliation. The tit-for-tat puts the nation's two most populous states at the center of an expanding fight over control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Dozens of Texas House Democrats left the state Aug. 3 to deny their Republican-majority colleagues the attendance necessary to vote on redrawn maps intended to send five more Texas Republicans to Washington.

They declared victory after Republicans adjourned their first special session on Friday and Democrats around the country rallied in opposition to the Trump-led gerrymandering effort. They pointed specifically to California's release of proposed maps intended to increase Democrats' U.S. House advantage by five seats, effectively neutralizing any Republican gains in Texas.

For the first time since Trump's redistricting push accelerated into a national issue, the Texas House floor was near full capacity Monday afternoon.

Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows did not mention redistricting on the floor Monday but promised swift action on the Legislature’s agenda.