The gambit has triggered a national redistricting war, as governors from both major parties threaten to initiate similar efforts in other states.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans on Wednesday took the first step toward approving new congressional maps that would give their party as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives, spurring what’s likely to be a national battle over redistricting.

The vote overcame weeks of protests from House Democrats who fled the state to stall a vote on the mid-cycle redistricting.