Texas Republicans are hoping to gain five additional seats in Congress under a redistricting plan that has been filed in the Texas House.(Robert Wilson/Adobe Stock)
“The proposed maps disrupt minority representation in Houston, south Texas, and Central Texas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex,” said Chavez. “And the proposed maps appear to have one goal, and that is to change the district just enough to force out the representative chosen by Latino voters.”
If the proposed maps are approved, four of the new seats would be majority-Hispanic districts.
Although Trump won in south Texas in the 2024 election, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-TX, and U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-TX, won re-election. Chavez said changing the maps before the mid-term is an attempt to silence Hispanic voters.
“The Texas Legislature is trying to change the districts to get rid of the representatives that voters elected in 2024, and it’s not fair to take away the voter’s voice just because of who they voted for,” said Chavez. “Voters in south Texas have the same rights as everyone else to choose their representative.”
Democratic lawmakers stalled a vote on the map during a special session by leaving the state.
Their move has brought national attention to the issue, prompting both Democrat and Republican governors to consider redistricting before the 2026 mid-term election.
Related: Texas Senate Democrats blast ‘immoral, racist’ redistricting plan
