Republicans in the Texas and Georgia legislatures released their proposed congressional gerrymandered maps yesterday. The politicians who drew these maps did exactly what was expected: They picked the voters they wanted in their districts to insulate themselves while minimizing the power of minority communities in both states.
In Texas, Republican legislators drew the maps in an effort that their strategists admit is to hold onto political power. The proposed Texas map undermines the voice and vote of Black and Hispanic voters in the state. Despite the fact that people of color accounted for 95% of the state’s population growth last decade, Texas Republican politicians drew the map to create one fewer Hispanic-majority district and zero majority-Black districts.
In the proposed Georgia map, Republicans in the state packed Democratic voters in the Atlanta suburbs who they don’t want to represent into one district, creating a new seat that makes it easier for Republicans to win elections. The Republican-drawn map consolidates Black voters in the Atlanta area, diluting the power of their votes and denying them fair and equal representation.
These two maps are yet another example of politicians egregiously gerrymandering to ensure they choose their voters instead of voters choosing their elected representatives. The U.S. Senate must quickly pass the Freedom to Vote Act to end partisan gerrymandering, protect the freedom to vote, and ensure that every American has an equal voice in our democracy.
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