High Texas Democrats are sounding the alarm over a GOP plan to redraw Texas’ congressional maps, warning in interviews with CBS Information it could dramatically dilute minority illustration within the Lone Star State and set off a nationwide ripple impact.
Republican state lawmakers unveiled a draft congressional map on Wednesday that may flip 5 U.S. Home districts at the moment held by Democrats into GOP-leaning seats — an concept blessed by President Trump as Republicans angle to carry onto their slim congressional majority in subsequent 12 months’s midterms.
One Democratic member of Congress whose district may very well be impacted known as the proposed map “grossly unfair,” arguing Black and Latino communities are being “scrambled” and deliberately fractured for political acquire.
“They’ve already gerrymandered the map — and now they’re making an attempt to make it 30 to eight in favor of Republicans,” the lawmaker instructed CBS Information, referencing the state’s congressional delegation. “That is grossly unfair and begins a harmful domino impact. If Texas lights the hearth, it’s going to unfold to different states like California and New York. It will be a large number throughout the nation.”
The Democratic consultant additionally argued that Texas Republicans are banking on sustaining the historic margins they noticed amongst Hispanic voters in November’s election, however warned that latest polling exhibits a softening in GOP help amongst Latino voters — notably within the wake of backlash over the Trump administration’s deportation insurance policies.
These voters “might not be there,” the lawmaker stated, cautioning the technique may backfire and jeopardize Republican positive aspects.
One other high Democrat who has beforehand run statewide in Texas echoed the priority, calling the proposal “deeply undemocratic.”
“We’re seeing losses of illustration for folks of coloration in Texas,” the Democrat stated. “5 of the affected districts are Latino-majority seats. They are not simply stacking the deck — they’re doing it with none expectation of being held accountable. However they are going to be held accountable.”
New congressional map may increase GOP’s Home edge
Mr. Trump has publicly inspired Texas Republicans to reshape the state’s congressional districts, predicting to reporters earlier this month a “easy redrawing” may web 5 additional seats for his occasion. The GOP at the moment controls 25 of Texas’ 38 Home districts, which had been final redrawn after the 2020 Census.
Home Republicans are defending a razor-thin seven-seat majority in subsequent 12 months’s congressional elections — a difficult job because the occasion that controls the White Home almost always loses upwards of a dozen seats within the midterms.
Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott known as the state legislature right into a particular session, and on Wednesday, lawmakers released an early draft map — although modifications may very well be made. It might want to move the GOP-controlled state Home and Senate.
The map would enhance the GOP’s edge by tilting two Democratic seats within the Rio Grande Valley to the precise, making a pair of districts within the Dallas and Houston space redder and merging two Democratic seats close to Austin into one.
For instance, Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar — who already represents a district gained by Mr. Trump in 2024 — would lose components of the San Antonio suburbs beneath the brand new map. And the Dallas-area district held by Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson could be redrawn to stretch greater than 100 miles from Dallas County to deep-red components of rural North Texas.
Texas Republicans have pledged to ensure the redistricting plans are constitutional. Abbott has argued the maps must be redrawn as a result of “constitutional considerations” raised by the Justice Division. CBS Information has reached out to the Texas GOP for remark.
However Democrats have blasted the map, which Democratic Nationwide Committee chair Ken Martin known as a “blatant gerrymander” and a “doubtless violation of the Voting Rights Act.” Rep. Greg Casar — whose Austin-area district could be merged with that of fellow Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett — known as the transfer “unlawful voter suppression of Black and Latino Central Texans.”
The governors of some Democratic states, together with California and New York, have floated launching their own mid-decade redistricting processes, with a watch to creating extra blue seats. However these plans may require constitutional amendments since, in contrast to Texas, these two states have put impartial commissions answerable for redistricting.
In the meantime, some specialists have suggested Texas’ plan to create 5 additional GOP-leaning districts may make a few of these newfound crimson seats extra aggressive, by distributing Republican voters throughout extra districts.
The state has additionally undergone important demographic modifications in latest elections. The fast-growing Dallas and Houston suburbs have shifted towards Democrats, however the as soon as reliably blue Rio Grande Valley has grow to be redder with extra Hispanic voters supporting Republican candidates.
contributed to this report.
