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austin, Texas – In a move sparking national controversy, the Texas House Committee on Redistricting approved new congressional maps Saturday, widely criticized as gerrymandered to favor Republican candidates. The vote, occurring along party lines, intensifies a growing national debate over fair representation and the influence of partisan politics in shaping electoral districts.the approval sets the stage for a full House vote, perhaps as early as next week, before the 88th Texas Legislature adjourns on May 27th.
Committee Chairman, Republican state Rep. Cody Vasut of District 99, openly acknowledged the political motivations behind the map’s design. “This map was politically based, and that’s totally legal, totally allowed and totally fair,” Vasut told NBC News. He argued that Texas is “underperforming” compared to states like California, New York, and Illinois in terms of translating votes into congressional seats, and that the new map aims to rectify this perceived imbalance. Texas currently has 38 congressional districts.
The redistricting effort has drawn the attention of national figures, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is completing his second term and is considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Pritzker has publicly condemned former President Trump’s influence on the process and has offered support to Texas Democrats facing a challenging electoral landscape.
Pritzker’s involvement began with a keynote address to Oklahoma Democrats in June, where he discussed the importance of resisting what he views as anti-democratic trends. Following a “robust” meeting with Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair alicia Andrews, Pritzker extended an offer of logistical support to Texas Democrats, including assistance with hotel accommodations, meeting spaces, and othre resources, should they choose to relocate temporarily to avoid the impact of the new maps. He reiterated this offer during a subsequent meeting with members of the Texas Democratic Party at the Austin Club on august 2nd.
“Democrats have got to stand up at this point and tell every individual in this nation, ‘This is not normal. This is not democracy,'” Texas state Rep.Ann Johnson of District 139 told NBC News on Saturday. Johnson, a member of the House Committee on Redistricting, was the sole Democrat
