Houston lost a Black representative in Congress after redistricting in Texas — Al Jazeera
Texas’ Republican-controlled legislature redrew electoral district boundaries last year ahead of the US midterm elections. According to Al Jazeera, the Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church and the predominantly Black Sunnyside neighborhood in Houston were moved from the 9th to the 18th congressional district.
As a result, Democrat Al Green was forced to compete in the primary against the incumbent representative of the 18th district, Christian Menefee, also a Black Democrat. Green lost, and Houston consequently lost one of its Black representatives in Congress.
Criticism of the new redistricting
The boundaries of the 9th district were changed to give an advantage to the Republican Party. Republicans expect to win at least five congressional seats in Texas, including four additional districts in the south of the state.
Critics call this approach the cracking and packing of votes. In their view, it weakens minority representation by concentrating voters who mostly support Democrats into fewer districts. Pastor Max Miller said the changes are an attempt to manipulate voting and reduce the influence of residents in the affected districts.
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Michael Adams, a professor at Texas Southern University, noted that the absence of another Black member of Congress from Houston could make some Black voters feel that their voice has been weakened. Defenders of the new plan in Texas insist that it took into account political changes in the state, population growth, public hearings and recent voting trends, rather than voters’ race.
A test for the new districts
Mid-decade redistricting also took place in other states. Republicans changed maps in Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Ohio, while Democrats did so in California. A map introduced by court order in Utah gave Democrats a favorable district, while Democrats’ initiative in Virginia was later declared invalid.
About 35 million Americans will vote in districts with new boundaries. Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor at the University of Houston, stressed that changing boundaries can affect the political balance but does not guarantee the outcome of the vote.
In the 9th district, Democrats are trying to mobilize voters of Latin American origin, whose turnout, according to Diana Isa, director of Mi Familia Vota in Texas, remains low. Democratic candidate Letitia Gutierrez is relying on personal meetings with voters and raising issues of housing affordability and access to medical care.
