NAACP challenges Texas’ new congressional map on grounds of racial discrimination and intensifies fight

Texas’ congressional map was modified at President Donald Trump’s request, and the NAACP and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit against the state on Tuesday, claiming it weakens the influence of Black voters and other minorities.

The revised plan was approved last week by the Republican-controlled Texas legislature in the aim of giving Republicans five more congressional seats. In response, the Democratic-controlled California legislature passed a new map that included five additional seats for Democrats in an attempt to match Texas. There have also been legal challenges to the California initiative.

In a statement, NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said, “Texas is only 40% white, but white voters control over 73 percent of the state’s congressional seats.”

“Texas’s attempt to redistrict in the middle of the decade, ahead of the midterm elections next year, is clearly motivated by race. The state’s goal is to decrease the number of representatives from Black communities in Congress, which is unlawful in and of itself.

According to Texas lawmakers, the new map was created to support Republicans rather than to single out minorities.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Republican Secretary of State Jane Nelson are named as defendants in the case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso. Neither of them immediately responded to a request for comment. It requests that a judge prevent the new congressional map from being used.

Despite political obstacles, Republicans have admitted that they think gaining additional congressional seats in Texas will help the party hold onto its tiny majority in the US House of Representatives in the next midterm elections.

Other Democratic states are also thinking about redrawing boundaries to oppose that, while more Republican-controlled states are contemplating similar moves.

Following a walkout by over 50 Democratic House members, which prevented Republicans from having the necessary legislative quorum, the new Texas map’s passage in the state House was postponed for two weeks.

Brad Brooks reported from Colorado, Kanishka Singh added to the reporting from Washington, and Chris Reese edited.