The interim plan is a victory for African American and Hispanic voters in North Texas. New District 33 is a coalition district that includes the core African American and Hispanic neighborhoods in Tarrant County and then extends east into Dallas County to include Hispanic neighborhoods in Oak Cliff and parts of Grand Prairie and Irving. The turnout in Democratic primaries favors Tarrant County. The new congressional district includes most of the State House District of Representative Marc Veasey. Veasey is expected to run for the seat and should be considered the early favorite.
Outside of North Texas, the interim plan does not reflect the population growth of Hispanics and African Americans in Texas.
- While new District 35 is created and extends from Austin to San Antonio, it is offset by the dismantling of Travis County-based District 25 which is converted from a minority crossover district to a safe Anglo Republican District.
- New District 34 based in Cameron County is offset by the loss of District 27 from a Latino opportunity district to a Anglo Republican-controlled District.
- The Latino voting strength in San Antonio/West Texas District 23 is also reduced. However Democrats are fielding a very strong candidate in State Representative Pete Gallego, so he can likely win disproportionate support from some Anglo voters and defeat Republican incumbent Francisco Canseco.
Most of the plaintiff groups who challenged the Republican congressional plan hoped for a better interim map. These hopes were undermined, however, when Congressman Henry Cuellar and one of the Latino plaintiff groups – the Latino Task Force – agreed to a compromise proposal that gave up at least three, and perhaps all four, of the additional Texas seats to the Republicans.
Next month, the Federal District Court in Washington, DC is expected to release its decision detailing all of the violations in the State’s originally enacted redistricting plan. Ultimately, the DC Court’s decision will guide the redrawing of new maps when the Legislature meets again in 2013.
Here is a breakdown of the Districts under the Court’s plan where minority voters can elect their candidate of choice:
- CD 9 – Al Green , Houston – African American Opportunity District
- CD15 – Ruben Hinojosa, Hidalgo County – Hispanic Opportunity District
- CD16 – Silvestre Reyes, El Paso – Hispanic Opportunity District
- CD18 – Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston – African American Opportunity District
- CD20 – Charlie Gonzalez, San Antonio – Hispanic Opportunity District
- CD23 – Francisco Canseco, San Antonio/West Texas – Marginalized Hispanic Opportunity District*
- CD28 – Henry Cuellar, Laredo – Hispanic Opportunity District
- CD29 – Gene Green, Houston – Hispanic Opportunity District
- CD30 – Eddie Bernice Johnson, Dallas – African American Opportunity District
- CD33 – New Open, Fort Worth/Dallas – Minority Coalition District
- CD34 – New Open, Cameron County – Hispanic Opportunity District
- CD35 – New Open, Austin/San Antonio – Hispanic Opportunity District *The Court’s interim plan reduces the Latino voting strength in
- CD23 below the level of the benchmark plan, but strong Democratic candidate Pete Gallego should be able to claim the district against Republican Francisco Canseco.
*The Court’s interim plan reduces the Latino voting strength in CD23 below the level of the benchmark plan, but strong Democratic candidate Pete Gallego should be able to claim the district against Republican Francisco Canseco.
