Press Release
Texas Governor Signs Gerrymandered District Maps into Law
Maps will govern the next ten years of Texas elections
Today, Governor Greg Abbott signed racially and partisan gerrymandered district maps for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, State Board of Education, and Congress into law. The maps, designed to deny voters fair representation and an equal say in government, will determine the outcome of the state’s elections for the next decade.
Statement of Anthony Gutierrez, Common Cause Texas Executive Director
This year’s redistricting process was designed with one outcome in mind: to safeguard re-election for the politicians in power.
With his signature today, Governor Abbott continues the shameful five-decade-long tradition of ramming through extremely gerrymandered maps in an undemocratic process.
From the beginning, this Governor and the partisan state legislature were determined to solidify their political control for the next ten years at any cost to the voters.
These racially and partisan gerrymandered maps deny every voter in Texas from having an equal say in the issues we care about most, like a stronger economy, better schools, and affordable healthcare.
None of the maps accurately reflect the changing population of our state. Instead, these maps are intentionally designed to silence Black and Brown voters from having a voice in our democracy and erase their representation in our government.
State leaders must remember that these maps don’t belong to politicians or political candidates, they belong to the voters of Texas.
This entire process served to remind us all as to why it is a monumentally bad idea to let politicians draw their own district maps.
We are inspired by the Texans who overcame multiple barriers and made their voices heard loud and clear for fair maps. We remain committed to our collective fight for a fair, transparent, and participatory democracy that invites everyone to have a say in the decisions that impact our daily lives. We look forward to continuing our work alongside voters to secure a government accountable to the people.