A controversial mid-decade redistricting plan approved by Texas House Republicans on August 21, 2025, has redrawn congressional maps, putting the seats of Democratic Representatives Al Green and Jasmine Crockett at risk. The new map, designed to secure five additional GOP seats, targets Democratic strongholds in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, reshaping districts to favor Republican candidates. Green’s Houston-based 9th District, previously a Democratic bastion, now leans Republican, with projections showing Trump would have won it by 15 points. Crockett’s 30th District remains heavily Democratic but places her home in the neighboring 33rd District, forcing her to consider running there or facing new constituents.
Critics, including Crockett, decry the plan as racial gerrymandering, noting its impact on majority-Black and Latino districts. Green, a veteran congressman, vowed to stay in the race but faces a tough primary against a potential incumbent in the redrawn 18th District. The U.S. Constitution allows representatives to run in districts they don’t reside in, but Crockett expressed concerns about affordability, citing her $174,000 congressional salary and high mortgage rates. Democrats argue the map undermines voter representation, while Republicans defend it as correcting past gerrymanders. Legal challenges are expected, with the U.S. Supreme Court set to review similar cases.
The redistricting has sparked heated debate, with some celebrating the potential ousting of Green and Crockett, while others see it as a power grab. The outcome will shape Texas’s congressional landscape for 2026.
