A proposed redraw of the congressional map by Texas state Republicans would effectively remove mouthy Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett from her district and potentially expand the state’s Republican delegation in the U.S. House.
Unveiled last week, the redistricting plan introduced by Texas House Republicans could yield as many as five additional GOP-held seats. The draft map—still subject to revisions before final approval by both chambers of the state Legislature—seeks to redraw district boundaries by incorporating more Republican-leaning areas into traditionally Democratic strongholds such as Dallas and Houston.
Crockett, who represents Texas’ 30th Congressional District encompassing much of Dallas, has denounced the redistricting plan as “a power grab to silence voters.”
Crockett said that before the release of the proposed map, she and other Democratic incumbents were asked to verify their home addresses—an unusual move that raised concerns about targeting specific lawmakers.
The rare mid-decade redistricting push could also pit Democratic members against one another in primary races, as the number of safe seats shrinks, Fox News reported.
For instance, under the proposed map, Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas’ 37th District in Austin would be drawn into the same district as Rep. Greg Casar, who currently represents the adjacent 35th District, also based in Austin.