These Texas Democrats are at risk under proposed GOP maps

[Celerity]

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5428413-these-texas-democrats-are-at-risk-under-proposed-gop-maps/

Texas Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a proposal for new congressional maps after President Trump called for the Lone Star State to create five new House seats ahead of the midterms. The proposed maps, filed as Texas lawmakers meet for a special session initially called after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vetoed a ban on THC, could help Republicans protect their narrow 219-212 House majority by redrawing some Democrat-held seats to incorporate far more Republican voters.

If Republicans succeed, they would also, in a reprise of the pivotal redistricting campaign of 2003, destroy the districts of a cadre of progressive Democratic leaders. The GOP already holds 25 of the state’s 38 congressional seats, but the changes could boost them to a 30-8 red advantage — though the draft could change as it works toward approval in the state chambers and faces pushback from Democrats.

It would also have ramifications for the balance of power within Texas, at least as it pertains to the state’s relationship with the federal government. That’s because the new map strips one Congressional seat each from the Democratic-controlled urban powerhouses of Houston, Dallas and Austin-San Antonio — cities that offer the main locus of opposition to the state’s Republican leaders and Congressional majority.

Here are some of the Texas Democrats and districts that could be impacted by the proposed lines:

snip (much more detail at the top link)

[Autumn]

1. Democrats in blue states need to get busy and wipe out republican districts

in their states. Newsome has the right Idea that just might save us all.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

3. Yes...

...but there's not a lot of room in California because it's already heavily gerrymandered, much more so than Texas.

[markodochartaigh]

2. I think that it is important to note

that in 2024 Texas was 56-42 for Trump. So, of the 57% of voters who could be bothered to vote against authoritarianism, 42% voted Democratic. If the Republicans succeed in gerrymandering the additional 5 seats that will give them about 80% of Texas' House seats.

Of course gerrymandering only discourages voting by voters of the minority party. And, although Trump loves "the poorly educated" we don't love him back. Voter participation is 25% lower for the "poorly educated". Any difference in voting between the well educated and the poorly educated could probably be erased by motivating the poorly educated to vote.

[surfered]

4. They've tried redistricting Lloyd Doggett out of office before.

I hope he can dodge this attempt. But he’s as old as I am and may just retire. I hope not. He’s s good man and we need him.

[Celerity]

5. It appears the changes may well set up a Dem on Dem primary fight, with Doggett v Greg Casar

Casar is the new Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, so it would be a big scalp for the Rethugs to claim. Same thing if Doggett loses, as the Rethugs (as you stated) have been targeting him for decades.

[FBaggins]

6. He's likely done if this passes (and gets through the courts)

If it’s one of the two of them and one is more than twice as old… he probably retires rather than knock out someone who could serve for decades

[Celerity]

7. If they do end up fighting for the same seat, I predict the primary will turn into a shitshow here on DU.

The hardcore anti-prog crew will be out en masse as Casar going down to Doggett would put them over the moon.

Not only is Casar the leader of the Progressive Caucus, but he is also a member of The Squad, who the anti-progs detest.

That is a 2-for-1 they will not pass up.

I have nothing but respect for Doggett btw. He is (ironically) also a great progressive. That said, he will turn 82yo in his next term, so not a long future runway in terms of service. Casar turned 36yo in May, so he, potentially, has decades of service ahead of him.

Greg Casar Is Organizing to Win



The new chair of the Progressive Caucus wants to do for Democrats what he did for construction workers in Texas.

https://prospect.org/politics/2025-07-28-organizing-to-win-greg-casar/


Casar has always approached political work with the same mindset forged as a labor organizer. (Robin Jerstad)

It was 97 degrees outside, and Greg Casar was in a fragrance store, looking for an envelope. He had marched on that June evening with about 30 workers from two restaurants owned by the mogul Stephen Starr. They stopped first at St. Anselm, a steakhouse in the historic Union Market District in Northeast Washington, D.C., where 85 percent of the workers signed cards seeking union representation and later won an election. But the STARR Restaurant Group argued that the election was void because the Trump administration’s National Labor Relations Board had only two of its five seats filled, one less than a quorum, and therefore could not certify the results.

Casar, a second-term congressmember from Austin, Texas, had visited St. Anselm once before, in February, and the STARR Group’s leadership promised him then that it would honor employee wishes. But St. Anselm and another restaurant, Pastis, not only broke that promise; they started reducing hours, changing work rules, and even firing union-supporting workers. “I haven’t had a raise in two years,” one baker told Casar at a meetup before the march. “I can barely afford my rent.” St. Anselm workers had signed a petition demanding wage hikes and union recognition. But the hostess told Casar she was not authorized to accept anything related to the labor dispute. Casar had experienced these indignities from management a million times as a labor organizer. It wasn’t going to deter him.

“Sometimes one of the tactics that our restaurant uses is to make us feel small and powerless,” said Bridget, a baker at St. Anselm. “Having a member of Congress there … makes us feel as if what we’re doing is legitimate.” Casar suggested that they could seal the petition in an envelope for the hostess to deliver to her superiors. That was deemed acceptable. Now they needed the envelope. The fragrance store was next door. “A weird fact about me is, really strong perfume gives me a little lightheadedness, I hate it,” Casar said later. “So actually going into there, I was like, I gotta get in and out.” The mission proved unsuccessful. But someone fashioned a sheet of loose-leaf paper into an envelope, stuck the petition inside, and the hostess took it. Chants of “¡Si se puede!” broke out among the mostly Spanish-speaking workers. Casar was 1,500 miles from his constituents. It was the hottest day of the year so far in D.C. He was on his own time. There were no TV cameras. I was the only press.



A couple of days later, in his Capitol Hill office, Casar told me the march was “the most fun I had all week, man! … It’s a whole lot better than sitting in a committee hearing.” He believed his presence, as the second-highest ranking Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, could make a difference in the unionization fight. But secondarily, he considered it a way to stay grounded, outside the trappings of power and in solidarity with the kind of people who brought him to Washington. “We need more congressmen and -women,” Casar told me, “who feel more comfortable marching into a fancy D.C. restaurant with a union than mingling inside of one with lobbyists.”

snip

[FBaggins]

8. I'm sure that's what they intend...

But I doubt that Doggett will let it happen.

[Celerity]

9. New development. As I feared, Doggett IS looking like he will let it happen and is already sniping at Casar.

‘Doggett Should Take His Own Advice’: Proposed Texas Map Is Already Turning Democrats Against Each Other

Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s comments on CNN have infuriated Democrats who think he should step aside for the next generation.

https://www.notus.org/2026-election/doggett-should-take-his-own-advice-the-new-texas-map-is-already-turning-democrats-against-each-other

In response to the Texas GOP’s newly gerrymandered congressional map, Democrats hoped their lawmakers would band together and push back against Republicans with a unified voice. Instead, Democrats already appear to be fighting each other. The new map — while not yet official — will pit at least two Democrats in the Austin area against each other for one blue seat. And it looks like that race could get messy.

Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar appear destined to duke it out in a Democratic primary, with the race rehashing many of the thorniest issues for Democrats — like age, diversity and a battle between progressive politics and pragmatism. Democrats are already drawing parallels between this race and President Joe Biden’s 2024 presidential campaign and Doggett’s position as the first Democrat to call on Biden to bow out of the presidential race could be an issue.

According to four progressives Democrats, members and staff in Congress are privately fuming at Doggett’s announcement on CNN that he has filed to run for election for the 37th Congressional District, which has been redrawn to include parts of his and Casar’s districts. “It’s not a matter of me running against him,” Doggett said of Casar on CNN. “I’m in District 37. Two-thirds of my people are there. I filed for reelection. But we have set about a plan to work together, united to fight this plan, and whatever happens after this, we can take a look at it then.”

The problem is, people don’t think Doggett is exactly waiting — not when he’s already talking about a primary against Casar. Some Democrats in Congress think it’d be best if Doggett just stepped aside, particularly after he so prominently called on Biden to step down from the Democratic ticket. “Lloyd has such an amazing track record, such an amazing record in Congress and has done amazing work,” a Democratic member, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told NOTUS. “I think if this map ends up going through, Lloyd will taint his legacy by running against someone like Greg Casar.” The member added that Doggett was now in a similar situation to Biden. “It’s time to take his own advice,” this member said. “If he fails to do that, it could be a nasty race.”

snip