Republican Strategist Comments on Texas Democrats’ Actions

On Tuesday, Republican strategist Scott Jennings pointed out several states where Democrats hold control during a discussion about the Texas Legislature’s special session. This comes after Texas Democrats left for Illinois and New York in an effort to hinder sessions aimed at redistricting that might allow Republicans to gain up to five additional seats in the U.S. House.

Jennings responded to former Obama administration figure Xochitl Hinojosa, who suggested a fair process for constituency changes in California. He noted that in California, Republicans secure about 40% of the vote yet only represent 17% of congressional seats, which he felt wasn’t a strong example to support their claims. He posed a question to Hinojosa regarding elections in states like Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, New Mexico, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Rhode Island, asking if the voting percentages for Republicans in those states remotely reflected their congressional representation.

After the 2022 midterm elections, New York revised its congressional map, putting six out of eleven Republican House members at risk. Meanwhile, Illinois Democrats restructured their congressional districts, impacting two Republicans, including Adam Kinzinger, known for his criticism of President Trump.

Jennings expressed his view on the redistricting processes, stating, “If the state is calling for a special session and trying to get a seat, I agree. I don’t agree with that. Do you think they need to do that? Absolutely. It’s listed.”