Federal Court Deals Blow to GOP Gerrymandering in Texas

For a party that claims to honor democracy and the integrity of the electoral system, the Republican Party goes to extreme lengths to limit the ability of minorities to vote - through new ID requirements and sometimes outright intimidation - and to gerrymander voting districts so as to neutralize minority populations who have little reason to vote Republican given the Party's efforts to often demonize them . Such behavior by the GOP is the norm here in Virginia. Texas is no different. But it appears that GOP efforts in Texas may be hitting a road block in the form of the federal courts which are poised to rewrite the GOP redistricting effort. Under the GOP plan, 3 out of 4 new Congressional seats would have tilted to the GOP and all GOP encumbrances would have held safe seats. The court plan would flip this outcome on its head. Here are some highlights from Politico:

A federal court-proposed map positions Democrats to gain as many as three congressional seats in Texas, dealing a sharp blow to Republicans who had hoped the state would help solidify their new majority.

Under the plan, Democrats could capture three of the four new seats Texas is gaining in the current round of reapportionment, and would be positioned to compete against one of the state’s freshman Republicans, Rep. Quico Canseco, whose southwestern Texas district would become considerably less GOP-friendly.

The interim plan was crafted by a San Antonio court, which was tasked with providing a congressional map until a Washington, D.C.-based court determines whether a Republican-drawn plan, approved by the state legislature earlier this year, adequately accommodates the state’s exploding Hispanic population. The Justice Department, along with several minority groups, instigated legal action earlier this year, alleging that the GOP blueprint dilutes minority voting strength.

The court-drafted map is a devastating reversal for Republicans, whose map would have positioned the GOP to win three of the state’s new seats and would have allowed each of the party’s 23 incumbents to run in safe districts.

“This is a big win for Democrats and minority groups in Texas,” said Matt Angle, director of the Texas Justice Fund, which helped craft the legal strategy combating the GOP plan.

Several other Republican-held districts would also be less safe under the interim plan. Veteran GOP Rep. Joe Barton would see his seat grow less Republican-friendly, as would the Galveston-area seat held by retiring GOP Rep. Ron Paul.

The proposed map is not final – Republicans will have until the end of this week to provide input and suggest changes before the plan is finalized. The interim plan was released just ahead of Monday’s opening of the filing period for candidates to declare their intentions to run in Texas races.