The Greek Courier
Democracy is in peril; Texas Republicans just released a proposed new congressional map on Wednesday that could provide the GOP with a pathway to gain five seats in the upcoming midterm elections. The map could serve as a blueprint for electoral manipulation throughout the US, undermining democracy, which is a primary goal of Donald J. Trump.
This proposal follows President Donald Trump's public call for a new map in the state. It seeks to redraw district lines specifically targeting current Democratic members of Congress in areas around Austin, Dallas, and Houston, as well as in two vulnerable South Texas districts that Trump won last year.
If enacted, this map could significantly impact the battle for control of the House of Representatives in 2026. Currently, Republicans hold a slim eight-seat advantage in the House, and this new map could offer them additional security as they aim to retain control in the final two years of Trump's presidency. Presently, the GOP controls 25 of Texas's 38 congressional districts.
The proposed district lines are strategically drawn to maximize the GOP's position; under the new map, Trump would have won 30 out of 38 seats last year, with none by single-digit margins. Democratic voters would be concentrated into eight districts that former Vice President Kamala Harris won by at least 15 percentage points each last year, according to analysis from the nonpartisan Texas Legislative Council.
The proposed map was submitted by state Rep. Todd Hunter, who represents a coastal area in southeastern Texas and is a member of the newly formed state House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting. This committee was established last week as part of a special legislative session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The proposal may still undergo changes before lawmakers consider it further, and committee members may refer new proposals for consideration throughout the special session.
Currently, members of the committee are scheduled to discuss the proposed map at a meeting on Friday. However, Legislative Democrats have suggested they might disrupt the process by leaving the state, which would prevent the Republicans from achieving the quorum needed to advance a bill.
The mid-decade redistricting effort, much like many regularly scheduled map redrawings, is heavily influenced by partisan politics. The focus is on helping Republicans maintain their narrow House majority in next year’s midterm elections.
The New York Times reported last month that members of Trump’s political operation had privately urged Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional maps in preparation for the 2026 midterms. Trump publicly endorsed these efforts, urging Texas lawmakers to take actions that could help the GOP gain five additional House seats.
State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat from Austin who previously organized a walkout by Democratic lawmakers in 2021 to counter a GOP attempt to tighten voting laws, told NBC News that she and her colleagues are prepared to "fight with everything we've got."
"What happens in Texas will influence what takes place in other states. This is Trump’s attempt to block accountability and shield himself from voters because he fears what we will do to him in the 2026 midterms," she said.
Hinojosa mentioned that as state Democrats contemplate whether to flee the state again to deprive the Legislature of the numbers required to pass bills, she believes the 2021 "quorum break" was "wildly successful in ways we could have never anticipated." She argued it not only elevated the Democrats' argument but also persuaded Republicans to remove two controversial provisions from the legislation Democrats opposed.
If enacted, this map could significantly impact the battle for control of the House of Representatives in 2026. Currently, Republicans hold a slim eight-seat advantage in the House, and this new map could offer them additional security as they aim to retain control in the final two years of Trump's presidency. Presently, the GOP controls 25 of Texas's 38 congressional districts.
The proposed district lines are strategically drawn to maximize the GOP's position; under the new map, Trump would have won 30 out of 38 seats last year, with none by single-digit margins. Democratic voters would be concentrated into eight districts that former Vice President Kamala Harris won by at least 15 percentage points each last year, according to analysis from the nonpartisan Texas Legislative Council.
The proposed map was submitted by state Rep. Todd Hunter, who represents a coastal area in southeastern Texas and is a member of the newly formed state House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting. This committee was established last week as part of a special legislative session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The proposal may still undergo changes before lawmakers consider it further, and committee members may refer new proposals for consideration throughout the special session.
Currently, members of the committee are scheduled to discuss the proposed map at a meeting on Friday. However, Legislative Democrats have suggested they might disrupt the process by leaving the state, which would prevent the Republicans from achieving the quorum needed to advance a bill.
The mid-decade redistricting effort, much like many regularly scheduled map redrawings, is heavily influenced by partisan politics. The focus is on helping Republicans maintain their narrow House majority in next year’s midterm elections.
The New York Times reported last month that members of Trump’s political operation had privately urged Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional maps in preparation for the 2026 midterms. Trump publicly endorsed these efforts, urging Texas lawmakers to take actions that could help the GOP gain five additional House seats.
State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat from Austin who previously organized a walkout by Democratic lawmakers in 2021 to counter a GOP attempt to tighten voting laws, told NBC News that she and her colleagues are prepared to "fight with everything we've got."
"What happens in Texas will influence what takes place in other states. This is Trump’s attempt to block accountability and shield himself from voters because he fears what we will do to him in the 2026 midterms," she said.
Hinojosa mentioned that as state Democrats contemplate whether to flee the state again to deprive the Legislature of the numbers required to pass bills, she believes the 2021 "quorum break" was "wildly successful in ways we could have never anticipated." She argued it not only elevated the Democrats' argument but also persuaded Republicans to remove two controversial provisions from the legislation Democrats opposed.
How the New Lines Differ from the Old
The proposed maps significantly alter the boundaries of South Texas congressional districts held by Democrats Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, as well as the Dallas-area district held by Julie Johnson and the Houston-area district held by Al Green. The new lines would effectively combine the Austin-area districts represented by Democrats Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett.
According to a review of the maps and demographic data by NBC News, the proposed boundaries would appear to increase the number of Latino voters in Cuellar’s new district, betting that demographic shifts in the area will benefit Republicans. Gonzalez’s proposed district would include a substantially larger proportion of white voters than the current version.
Green’s district would be redrawn to comprise significantly more white and Latino voters, while having far fewer Black voters. Green, who has represented the district since 2005, recently introduced articles of impeachment against Trump. Another Houston-area district, the 18th, would become more favorable to Democrats, shifting from a district Harris won by nearly 40 percentage points last year to one she would have won by 54 points.
Johnson, whose current district is predominantly nonwhite, would now represent a district that is nearly evenly split between white and nonwhite voters, which Trump would have won by nearly 18 points.
While Rep. Marc Veasey's Dallas-area 33rd District would remain heavily Democratic, areas around his hometown of Fort Worth would be moved out of his district into a safe Republican district.
For Casar and Doggett, the new lines raise the possibility that they would have to run in a primary against each other— a prospect Casar is adamant about fighting, raising the potential for legal action.
“Merging the 35th and 37th districts is illegal voter suppression of Black and Latino Central Texans,” Casar wrote on social media. “By merging our Central Texas districts, Trump is attempting to commit yet another crime—this time against Texas voters and the Voting Rights Act.”
“United, we will fight back with everything we’ve got,” Casar added. “If Trump is allowed to dismantle the Voting Rights Act here in Central Texas, his strategy will spread like wildfire across the country. Everyone who cares about our democracy must mobilize against this illegal map.”
Last year, Trump won two of the 13 Texas seats that Democrats currently hold, specifically the South Texas districts of Cuellar and Gonzalez. Cuellar’s district tilted towards Trump by 7 points, while Gonzalez’s leaned toward him by 4 points, according to analysis by NBC News’ Decision Desk. Cuellar won his seat by a margin of less than 6 points, while Gonzalez triumphed by less than 3 points, illustrating the narrow margins in the region.
Based on the proposed Texas GOP maps for the 2024 elections, Trump would have won both districts by 10 points.
Harris won Doggett's current seat by 34 points and Casar's by 49 points. However, under the proposed maps, she would win the new, single Austin-centered seat by 56 points, whereas Trump would have secured the other seat, more centered around San Antonio, by 10 points.
The redistricting process typically happens at the beginning of each new decade, coinciding with the release of new census data. Texas’ current maps, drawn in 2021, are still under litigation, with a lawsuit claiming they discriminate against Black and Latino voters.
According to a review of the maps and demographic data by NBC News, the proposed boundaries would appear to increase the number of Latino voters in Cuellar’s new district, betting that demographic shifts in the area will benefit Republicans. Gonzalez’s proposed district would include a substantially larger proportion of white voters than the current version.
Green’s district would be redrawn to comprise significantly more white and Latino voters, while having far fewer Black voters. Green, who has represented the district since 2005, recently introduced articles of impeachment against Trump. Another Houston-area district, the 18th, would become more favorable to Democrats, shifting from a district Harris won by nearly 40 percentage points last year to one she would have won by 54 points.
Johnson, whose current district is predominantly nonwhite, would now represent a district that is nearly evenly split between white and nonwhite voters, which Trump would have won by nearly 18 points.
While Rep. Marc Veasey's Dallas-area 33rd District would remain heavily Democratic, areas around his hometown of Fort Worth would be moved out of his district into a safe Republican district.
For Casar and Doggett, the new lines raise the possibility that they would have to run in a primary against each other— a prospect Casar is adamant about fighting, raising the potential for legal action.
“Merging the 35th and 37th districts is illegal voter suppression of Black and Latino Central Texans,” Casar wrote on social media. “By merging our Central Texas districts, Trump is attempting to commit yet another crime—this time against Texas voters and the Voting Rights Act.”
“United, we will fight back with everything we’ve got,” Casar added. “If Trump is allowed to dismantle the Voting Rights Act here in Central Texas, his strategy will spread like wildfire across the country. Everyone who cares about our democracy must mobilize against this illegal map.”
Last year, Trump won two of the 13 Texas seats that Democrats currently hold, specifically the South Texas districts of Cuellar and Gonzalez. Cuellar’s district tilted towards Trump by 7 points, while Gonzalez’s leaned toward him by 4 points, according to analysis by NBC News’ Decision Desk. Cuellar won his seat by a margin of less than 6 points, while Gonzalez triumphed by less than 3 points, illustrating the narrow margins in the region.
Based on the proposed Texas GOP maps for the 2024 elections, Trump would have won both districts by 10 points.
Harris won Doggett's current seat by 34 points and Casar's by 49 points. However, under the proposed maps, she would win the new, single Austin-centered seat by 56 points, whereas Trump would have secured the other seat, more centered around San Antonio, by 10 points.
The redistricting process typically happens at the beginning of each new decade, coinciding with the release of new census data. Texas’ current maps, drawn in 2021, are still under litigation, with a lawsuit claiming they discriminate against Black and Latino voters.
No comments:
Post a Comment