Court Unveils Texas Redistricting Maps as Final Approval Awaited

By Jim Lamare


A San Antonio-based Federal District Court recently unveiled maps detailing the geographical boundaries of 36 congressional seats to be contested in the 2012 Texas elections.


Primaries are set for May 29 and, runoffs, if necessary, for July 31.


The general election falls on Nov. 6.


This court-ordered plan must still be submitted, under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, to the federal government, mostly likely to the Department of Justice (DOJ), for pre-clearance.


The maps will be examined to ensure that district boundaries do not negate the electoral clout of people of color living in the state


HUGE GAIN IN STATE

DOJ is prepared to fast track the vetting process, anticipating completion of its review well before the May 29 primary date.


Between 2000 and 2010, Texas’ population expanded by 4 million people. As a result, the state was allocated four extra seats in Congress, increasing its congressional delegation from 32 to 36 members. The state’s burgeoning Hispanic population accounted for nearly two-thirds of that growth.


The maps drawn by the federal court creates the possibility that Hispanics could greatly influence the selection of three of the four new members of Congress.


  1. • District 33 encompasses much of Fort Worth and extends eastward ending near Dallas. Two-thirds of the constituents are Hispanic, although less than a majority of Latinos in this area are likely voters. There are 11 candidates in the Democratic primary – most are Hispanic. Neither Republican contesting the seat is Hispanic.


LATINO INCUMBENTS SAFE

  1. • District 34 runs from the border city of Brownsville north to rural areas near Corpus Christi. It is 83% Hispanic and heavily Democratic. All eight candidates in the Democratic primary are Latino.


  1. • District 35, which extends from Austin south to San Antonio, is 63% Hispanic. It is expected that a Democrat will fill this seat. Two Hispanic candidates, along with Lloyd Doggett — the incumbent in Texas’ 25th congressional seat — are in the Democratic primary.


Sure bets for re-election are Democratic incumbents Rubén Hinojosa (15th District), Silvestre Reyes (16th District), and Henry Cuéllar (28th District). Each represents a largely Hispanic district.


The retirement of Democrat Charlie González leaves an open seat in the 20th District. González’s successor will be a Hispanic, either Joaquín Castro (D) or David Rosa (R).


In District 23, incumbent Republican Francisco “Quico” Canseco will face a strong challenge from a Hispanic Democrat, probably former Congressmen Ciro Rodríguez, in November.


Two counterintuitive cases merit mention.


Hispanic Republican Bill Flores represents District 17, which has only a 23% Latino population. His return to Washington is virtually guaranteed since his seat has gone unchallenged by Democrats.


19% VERSUS 38%

Conversely, the 29th District is three-fourths Hispanic, but since 1992, voters have chosen Democrat Gene Green, a white, who also has no meaningful opposition in 2012.


Currently, Hispanics constitute nearly 19% of the Texas congressional delegation. That percentage will, at the minimum, hold firm after the elections. There is the possibility that the number could rise to 25%, which would still be significantly below the overall 38% of Texans who are Hispanic.