If Republicans want more seats in Texas, it means minority voting strength will be even further diminished.
Trump operatives are breaking arms within the Texas Republican Congressional delegation to force a congressional map to redraw, adding more Republicans to the U.S. House. It may not happen, but keep in mind that Texas U.S. House Republicans are pathetically compliant. And don’t expect Greg Abbott or other Trump submissives in Austin to put up resistance if Trump presses.
Texas Republicans Already Have a Disproportionate Partisan Advantage
Whatever unfolds, the media and others should stop reporting it only as a “partisan” power grab. The Texas map is already a gross partisan gerrymander, with Republicans holding 66 percent of the congressional seats when, over the last five statewide elections, Republican top-of-the-ballot candidates have averaged barely 54 percent support. The method they used to get this lopsided partisan advantage is racial gerrymandering.
Minority Population Growth Dwarfs White Growth
The U.S. Census reports that Texas added over 4 million people to its population between 2010 and 2020. Less than five percent were Anglo. Texas is a majority-minority state. Whites make up just under 40 percent of the population. Hispanics outnumber Anglos. The Black population stands at 12 percent. There are more Black residents in Texas than in any other state. The Hispanic, Black, and Asian American populations in Texas are all growing at a much higher rate than Anglos. In fact, in Texas’ five largest counties, which account for nearly half of the statewide population increase, the number of Anglos DECREASED by about 20,000.
Texas Minority Voters Strongly Back Democrats
Despite reports of recent marginal gains among minority voters by Trump, over the last decade, Texas Democratic candidates have typically averaged about 90 percent or greater support from Blacks, 60 percent or greater support from Hispanics, and 55 percent or better support from Asian Americans.
Republicans Use Partisanship as a Proxy for Race
So how did Republicans create 25 safe Republican districts and hold Democrats to only 13 when population and voting behavior says Democrats should have a chance in at least 16 districts? Republican leaders used voting behavior as a proxy for race. They systematically packed and cracked Blacks and Hispanics to diminish and limit their voting strength to the fewest districts possible.
For example, in the large majority-minority DFW region that serves as the population base for seven congressional districts, minority voters are packed and cracked to the point where they have significant voting influence in only three districts. A similar dynamic plays out in the giant Houston metropolitan area. As a result, under the current congressional map, in a state where Whites make up barely 39 percent of the population, White voters control 66 percent of the congressional seats.
More Republicans Means More Racial Gerrymandering
Population projections since the 2020 Census all show that minority population growth in Texas is not slowing. In fact, it is probably picking up speed. So, if or when Republicans unveil a new map giving them more districts in Texas, the media and the rest of us shouldn’t analyze it by simply counting the number of seats that favor Republicans. We should note, and report, that they have again targeted and undermined minority citizens to give White voters outsized and unearned additional political power.
Learn more about the illegal effort underway to destroy minority voting rights and voting strength in Tarrant County HERE.
