Democrats claim the GOP is displaying racism in their proposed Texas map.

House Democrats Criticize Texas Congressional Map Changes

House Democrats are taking aim at President Trump and GOP leaders over their initiative to redraw Texas’s congressional map. They’re accusing Republicans of “rigging” the system to amass power while disenfranchising millions of minority voters.

“Someone needs to have the courage to say it’s racism,” Rep. Al Green, part of the Congressional Black Caucus, stated during a press conference in Austin. “Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where racism can be used against people of color, but they can’t openly identify it as such.”

This backlash follows the announcement made by Texas Republicans on Wednesday, encouraged by Trump. The new map aims to flip at least five Democratic seats to Republican, complicating Democrats’ path to taking control in the upcoming midterm elections.

The Trump administration contends that the changes are necessary because the existing maps unfairly benefit black and Latino voters. In a letter to Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, Hermet Dillon from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Office urged Texas Republicans to reconsider these racially charged decisions.

Democrats, however, dismissed this rationale, describing it as more of a prediction than fact. They argue that the current map, drawn by Republicans only four years prior, already grants white voters an outsized influence, and the proposed changes would worsen these inequities.

“The black and brown communities will bear the brunt of this,” warned Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). “In recent decades, much of Texas’ growth has stemmed from Latinx and African-American communities, yet the number of congressional seats serving them has been minimized.”

“And there’s racism in this,” he added.

The proposed new map seemingly targets Democrats in major cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin, as well as those along the US-Mexico border. Notably, two border-region Democrats—Rep. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez—represent areas that Trump won in the last election.

Democrats underline that Republicans already command 25 out of 38 seats in the House, a situation facilitated by district lines drawn in 2021.

“Politicians afraid of accountability shouldn’t change the rules to suit their needs,” remarked Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas).

“Texas already has one of the most racially gerrymandered congressional maps in the nation. It’s vital to note that for Texas’ 38 congressional districts, states with majority minority populations also extend beyond those minority communities.”

In recent years, Democratic critics have leaned on the protections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which requires certain states to obtain federal approval before altering election rules. This law has historically been applied to states, including Texas, with documented racism.

However, the VRA was weakened in 2013 when the Supreme Court struck down long-standing formulas. Now, years later, Republicans are seeking ways to further eliminate any remaining protections.

Despite these challenges, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) expressed hope that the courts would reject the proposed Texas map for its discriminatory nature against minority voters.