Democrats and Latino advocacy groups voice their concerns after Texas Republicans unveil statehouse maps that reduce Black and Hispanic majority congressional districts.
The Texas GOP map proposal shows the party would like to increase the number of districts that house Trump supporters, The Texas Tribune reported.
If Texas’ GOP has its way, there will be 23 districts that have a majority white population, 7 districts that house a majority Hispanic population, zero districts with a Black majority population and 8 districts with no majority, KHOU 11 reported.
This comes as Texas has seen an increase in its minority populations, according to the 2020 Census. Nearly 2 million Hispanics now reside in the state, ABC News reported.
As a result of the increased population, Texas was given two additional congressional seats, which means it now has 38 House members and 40 electoral votes. This will make voting even more crucial during upcoming elections, given the weight of the electoral votes the state carries.
In 2020, the nation saw a record voter turnout among minority groups, which led to President Joe Biden’s victory. Since Donald Trump’s defeat, the GOP has been working tirelessly to find ways to legally restrict voting rights for minorities. The GOP has stood by Trump’s claims of voter fraud as the reason for losing the 2020 election, despite the Department of Justice’s investigation that found there was no evidence of such. Nonetheless the party is engaging in efforts to combat losing future presidential elections, even if that means placing minorities at a disadvantage.
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If these redistricting maps had been enacted in 2020, Trump would have had more votes than President Joe Biden in the southern state.
According to ABC News, these maps not only to give the GOP an advantage during elections, but they would also protect Republican incumbents who may be at risk of losing their positions.
According to Houston’s CBS Affiliate station, if the redistricting maps are to be passed and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, they will more than likely undergo several changes before that takes place.
