Today, GOP legislators in Texas unveiled their proposal to redraw the state's congressional lines for the next decade. And, as expected, the map illustrates why blue-trending suburbs limit Republicans' ability to reap a bonanza of new seats in the Sun Belt states they control.
The proposal would split the two new seats Texas gained from the census evenly between the parties: the new 37th CD would be a solidly Democratic "vote sink" in Austin designed to shore up surrounding GOP incumbents. And, the new 38th CD would be a heavily Republican seat in Houston designed for Army veteran Wesley Hunt, who fell three points short against Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) in 2020 (Fletcher's seat would become safely blue).
However, Republicans are also seeking to offset the new super-blue Austin seat by converting Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez's 15th CD in South Texas from a Biden +2 to a Trump +3 district, for a 25R-13D split overall (up from 23R-13D today). In 2020, Gonzalez beat Republican Monica De La Cruz Hernandez by a shockingly close three points. De La Cruz Hernandez
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