WASHINGTON − Democrats are prepared to respond in full to Texas Republicans’ controversial redistricting proposal, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Suzan DelBene warned.
“If they go down this path, absolutely folks are going to respond across the country,” DelBene, a Democratic congresswoman from Washington, told reporters at a meeting July 23. “We’re not going to be sitting back with one hand tied behind our back while Republicans try to undermine the voices of the American people.”
“Hopefully they won’t go down this path,” she added.
Lawmakers in the Lone Star State are currently evaluating Gov. Greg Abbott’s request to redraw congressional maps and make a handful of Texas’ 38 districts more friendly to Republican candidates.
The move follows the urging of President Donald Trump and comes as House Republicans hold a razor thin majority.
Trump has said he hopes map adjustments could put as many as five Texas districts in play for the GOP, providing critical cushion in next year’s elections when Democrats have precedent on their side. The party that does not hold the White House often has the advantage in midterm congressional elections.
Texas Democrats have a slim toolbox to prevent Republicans from following through with their rare mid-decade redistricting effort.
But beyond state borders, lawmakers and governors from blue bastions, including California and New York, have suggested an equal and opposite counterattack.
“We can act holier than thou,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a July 16 press conference. “We can sit on the sidelines, talk about the way the world should be. Or we can recognize the existential nature that is this moment.”
The coast-to-coast response has left the door open for other red states to jump in the mix.
Missouri Republicans are pondering a plan to give their party a geographical leg up, Punchbowl News reported. Florida and New Hampshire are other Republican-led states where a mid-decade redistricting could be feasible. Ohio is mandated by their state constitution to reassess their map before 2026.
In response to concerns about a tit-for-tat redistricting arms race, DelBene directed blame to Republicans in Texas: “They’ve already started down that path.”
Democrats are also hoping that any shifts by the GOP in Texas will backfire.
Moving reliably red voters into blue districts, they argue, could put incumbents in the districts they left at risk.
“They should be careful what they ask for,” DelBene said. “When they start playing with maps, they also change districts, and that will make a lot of Republicans vulnerable.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats warn of full force response to Texas redistricting plan
