High Texas Democrats are sounding the alarm over a GOP plan to redraw Texas’ congressional maps, warning in interviews with CBS News 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 might flip 5 U.S. Home districts at present held by Democrats into GOP-leaning seats — an thought blessed by President Trump as Republicans angle to carry onto their slender congressional majority in subsequent 12 months’s midterms.
One Democratic member of Congress whose district could possibly be impacted known as the proposed map “grossly unfair,” arguing Black and Latino communities are being “scrambled” and deliberately fractured for political achieve.
“They’ve already gerrymandered the map — and now they’re attempting to make it 30 to eight in favor of Republicans,” the lawmaker advised CBS News, referencing the state’s congressional delegation. “That is grossly unfair and begins a harmful domino impact. If Texas lights the fireplace, it’s going to unfold to different states like California and New York. It should be a multitude 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 reveals a softening in GOP help amongst Latino voters — significantly within the wake of backlash over the Trump administration’s deportation insurance policies.
These voters “will not be there,” the lawmaker stated, cautioning the technique might backfire and jeopardize Republican beneficial properties.
One other prime 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 might broaden 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” might internet 5 further seats for his get together. The GOP at present controls 25 of Texas’ 38 Home districts, which have 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 activity because the get together 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 could possibly be made. It might want to go 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 suitable, 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 elements of the San Antonio suburbs underneath the brand new map. And the Dallas-area district held by Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson can be redrawn to stretch greater than 100 miles from Dallas County to deep-red elements of rural North Texas.
Texas Republicans have pledged to ensure the redistricting plans are constitutional. Abbott has argued the maps have to be redrawn attributable to “constitutional considerations” raised by the Justice Division. CBS News 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 “seemingly violation of the Voting Rights Act.” Rep. Greg Casar — whose Austin-area district can 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 might require constitutional amendments since, not like Texas, these two states have put unbiased commissions in command of redistricting.
In the meantime, some specialists have suggested Texas’ plan to create 5 further GOP-leaning districts might make a few of these newfound crimson seats extra aggressive, by distributing Republican voters throughout extra districts.
The state has additionally undergone vital 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 turn into redder with extra Hispanic voters supporting Republican candidates.
contributed to this report.