The Texas Legislature has passed a plan for redrawing the state's congressional districts that could help Republicans win five more seats in the U.S. House, as called for last month by President Donald Trump. It goes next for expected signing by Gov. Greg Abbott.

The after-midnight vote of 18 to 11 was the latest major development in what's shaping up as a competition set off by Trump between Texas, California and possibly several other states around the country over the map for the midterm election.

Texas State Sen. Phil King, who led the defense of the plan in the Senate, noted the political motivation for the rare mid-decade redistricting. "For the map to be legal in all respects, that was the first goal," King said. "And the second one was that it would perform better for Republican

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