Texas Republicans were on course Wednesday to approve a contentious new electoral map pushed by President Donald Trump to eke out more seats and defend their razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives, with the midterm elections looming.

The vote had been delayed by two weeks after Democratic legislators fled the state to halt the aggressive redistricting drive, which carves out five new Republican-friendly districts.

More than 50 Democrats walked out, stalling legislative business and generating national headlines as they sought to draw attention to the rare mid-decade redistricting push.

The rebels returned this week, but not before their protest had set off a national map-drawing war, with Trump pressuring his party's state-level officials to do everything they can to pro

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