By Lauren Burke
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries flew to Austin, Texas, today to address Texas redistricting. Republicans who control the legislature and the Governor’s Mansion in Texas are working to redraw the congressional district lines after President Trump stated that he thought that five more congressional seats could be created. “Donald Trump ordered Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans to race back to Austin for a special legislative session,” Leader Jeffries said, standing in front of a group of congressional and Texas elected officials.
“Our message to the people of Texas and to this great country is simple: You deserve better,” he added. The Democratic Leader spoke on how the special session called to focus on redrawing congressional maps to make it harder for Democrats to win should be focused on how people will be impacted by changes to their health care because of the passage of the Trump tax plan. The bill was signed into law on July 4. “This session should be about fixing Texas’ broken health care system,” Leader Jeffries, in part, stated.
Texas Republicans gerrymandered a map that revealed a new map that made many congressional maps. Before Texas redistricting, the breakdown on the Congressional map was 25 GOP seats and 13 Dem seats. After the proposed maps, the breakdown would be 30 GOP-leaning seats and 8 Dem-leaning seats. “It is time we all fight hard… If the Republicans say they’re going to gain five seats in Texas, I say we gain 30 seats in New York, California, and Virginia… in Colorado,” said attorney Marc Elias on MSNBC on July 30. Elians has worked on voting rights law at the pro-democracy organization Democracy Docket.
The fight over the maps in Texas will likely reverberate in other states. California Governor Gavin Newsom is signaling that he is considering a mid-decade round of redistricting. The Texas Tribune reported yesterday that Gov. Newsom “has told aides he will move forward with a plan to redraw his state’s congressional lines to install more Democrats if Texas Republicans pass their own updated map.”
The redistricting issues could cause other political dominos to fall in other states, such as Illinois.
