Texas Governor Abbott announces prompt signing of redistricting maps once they are endorsed by lawmakers
In a move that could reshape the political landscape, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has promised to sign off on a new congressional voting map, gerrymandered to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress. This decision comes as the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution does not prohibit partisan gerrymandering to increase a party's clout, only gerrymandering that's explicitly done by race.
The partisan makeup of existing districts puts Democrats within three seats of a majority in Congress, making the stakes high for both parties. The new map in Texas includes five new districts that would favor Republicans, a move that has been met with opposition from Democrats.
Democrats had delayed the bill's passage during hours of debate, pressing on the proposal's legality, with many alleging that the redrawn districts violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting voters' influence based on race. Democrats have vowed to challenge the new map in court.
One of the most notable Democrats affected by the new map is Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the dean of the state's congressional delegation. Under the proposed map, Doggett's district would overlap with that of another Democratic incumbent, Rep. Greg Casar. In response, Doggett has announced he will not seek reelection to his Austin-based seat if the new map takes effect.
The redistricting process typically occurs once a decade, immediately after a census. However, some states have their own limitations, but there is no national impediment to a state trying to redraw districts in the middle of the decade.
In a move to counteract the partisan redistricting efforts, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has approved a special election in November for voters to decide whether to adopt a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more House seats next year.
The redistricting war is not limited to Texas. Trump has pushed other Republican-controlled states, including Indiana and Missouri, to also revise their maps to add more winnable GOP seats. Ohio Republicans were already scheduled to revise their maps to make them more partisan.
In a bid to ensure the map's legality and improve chances for Republican congressional candidates, Texas lawmakers approved the final plans for the new map just hours before. Republican Sen. Phil King, the measure's sponsor, stated that his two goals were to ensure all maps were legal and would be better for Republican congressional candidates in Texas.
Interestingly, Republicans and some Democrats championed a 2008 ballot measure that established California's nonpartisan redistricting commission, along with a 2010 one that extended its role to drawing congressional maps. However, more Democratic-run states have commission systems like California's or other redistricting limits than Republican ones do, leaving the GOP with a freer hand to swiftly redraw maps.
The name of the draft for the new Texas district map proposed by the state's Republican majority is "Texans for a Better Texas." The bill's name, "One Big Beautiful Map", is a nod to President Trump's signature tax and spending bill.
Amidst the partisan redistricting battle, California Assemblyman James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader, has expressed concern over the redistricting war, warning that it could lead to everything being burned down.
It's important to note that the incumbent president's party usually loses seats in the midterms. With the redistricting battles underway, it remains to be seen how this will impact the upcoming elections and the balance of power in Congress.
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