Tex. Redistricting Plan Would Increase Dem Seats

Democrats, Republicans and outside interest groups are developing strategies to make congressional redistricting work in their favor. So it is that a major Hispanic voting-rights group, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, has offered a redistricting plan in Texas that would establish nine Hispanic-majority congressional districts in the state’s new 36-seat set-up, as Politico reports.

Given Hispanics’ strong support for Democrats in these areas, that would give the party’s congressional candidates a big leg up, likely boosting the number of House Democrats in Texas to 12, up from nine currently.

The state is adding four congressional seats thanks to national population shifts. Its current 32-member delegation has four Hispanic Democrats, despite seven districts with a Hispanic majority.