On the Records: Mapping GOP Gains
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The geography of state politics changed Tuesday night, with Republicans taking control of 99 seats in the Texas House — the largest majority for either party since 1983.
This takeover is striking when seen on a political map. Texas is — at least geographically — more red after Tuesday's GOP wave.
First, the 2009 map, which reflects the Democrats' strength in urban areas, but also in swaths of East Texas and the Panhandle:
No more. The 2011 map shows a real divide, with Democrats losing everywhere except pockets of urban counties, far southeast Texas and the border:
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