Proposed Peña District Voted 50.1% for Perry in 2010
As state Sen. Kel Seliger said last week, the decennial process of drawing the boundaries around legislative districts is inherently political, a fact that's apparent by looking at the maps themselves.
Take the case of state Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, who followed his 2010 election as a Democrat last year by switching to the GOP, which now has the largest majority for either party since 1983.
In the statewide map proposed by the House's redistricting chair, Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, Peña's district is redrawn to boost his chances for re-election as a Republican in Democrat-friendly ...
Comments (4)
Shelly Brisbin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey Trib folks: a question. I realize that redistricting is extremely political, and that almost all politicians think of it that way. But is there any chance that your reporters would question that premise seriously as you report on what's happening at the legislature right now? If we can't expect lawmakers to redistrict in a non-partisan way, could we at least have a conversation about that idea from the point of view of the people who live in these demographically sliced and diced map wedges?
Marcus Cunningham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm hoping this doesn't pass a legal challenge. It does show a disturbing lesson: if you sell your soul you get a shiny new district.
Tim Tukaram Spotswood via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We used to pick our leaders... now they just pick their constituents. Doesn't this show a problem with the entire system?
Rudy Gonzales
Texas should get more Hispanic legislators based on the percentage of increases in Texas. Redistricting should be to guarantee Hispanic legislators gain office to the proportion of their population in Texas. There will shenanigans based on Perry and the Republicans actions in the past. This what you get when there's a one party rule in Texas! The Republican party has been bought by the well-connected and fully funded. We're not laughing here in Texas! Texas has been awash in red tape and mismanagement for too long. Rick Perry is a career politician with no real world experience, who forces his warped narrow-minded religious beliefs on Texas women instead of addressing the 16 billion dollar budget deficit! These guys are so out of touch and a good example is Rick Perry of Texas. Texas has beeen under Republican rule for quite some time now. So how is possible that we are running a deficit? Elections matter people. If you don't vote you can't complain. VOTE next time.
This what you get when there's a one party rule in Texas! The Republican party has been bought by the well-connected and fully funded. We're not laughing here in Texas! Texas has been awash in red tape and mismanagement for too long. Rick Perry is a career politician with no real world experience, who forces his warped, narrow-minded, religious beliefs on Texas women instead of addressing the 16 billion dollar budget deficit! These guys are so out of touch and a good example is Rick Perry of Texas. Hey Trick Ricky - where's the jobs? Remember we're open for business? Where's the jobs?Texas has been under a "Conservative" Republican rule for quite some time now. So how is possible that we are running a deficit? Conservatives should have seen the writing on the walls and fixed the issues. Elections matter - people! If you don't vote you can't complain. VOTE next time.