Houston, TX—Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) released the following statement after Texas Governor Greg Abbott added congressional redistricting to the special legislative session scheduled to begin on July 21.
“Governor Abbott’s announcement that he will call the Texas Legislature to redraw congressional maps, which were drawn just four years ago, is a betrayal–a betrayal of all Texans, no matter their political affiliation, and a betrayal of our democratic principle that all citizens should have a say in our government. Rather than fight for people and places they are elected to represent and have sworn to protect, Texas Republicans have collapsed to pressure from President Trump and have surrendered to political operatives from Washington to trade and divide their constituents like commodities.
“Texans are already burdened with one of the most gerrymandered congressional maps in the country. Republicans already have a lopsided partisan advantage. Now, they are prioritizing helping out-of-state political operatives abuse the voting rights and distort the political will of Texans so that national Republicans can try to hold on to the majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Texans should know that this effort threatens more than a particular map or congressional seat; it threatens the very principle that people deserve to have their voices heard in our democratic system. It is an attack on the effort to ensure that minority voters have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choosing and have a representative in government. It is an attack on the Voting Rights Act, the law put in place to ensure that groups who have been discriminated against and obstructed by the voting laws in states like Texas can exercise their right to vote and elect representatives of their choosing. This effort undermines the law, challenges the fundamental principles and protections enshrined in it, and subverts democratic representation and democracy itself.
“The Governor’s stated reason for this unusual mid-decade redistricting–to comply with a recent letter from the Department of Justice–is nonsensical. The Trump Department of Justice memo directly contradicts the sworn statements of Texas Republicans made in court less than a month ago that they were “race blind” when drawing the current map. Those same Republicans should now find themselves in court having to explain their deception as to why they’re suddenly invoking race as a justification for redrawing districts after insisting in court that race played no role at all.
“I will do everything I can to fight this redistricting effort and the effort to undermine the voting rights of all Texans. All Texans should reject Texas Republican leaders’ efforts now, before the Legislature enacts a new map, and Texas voters should reject them again next November.”
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Now in her fourth term in Congress, Fletcher was first elected to represent Texas’ Seventh Congressional District in 2018, becoming the first Democrat in more than 50 years and the first woman ever to represent TX-07.
