Texas Republicans’ Opening Redistricting Proposal Blatantly Racist and Undemocratic
AUSTIN, TX – Yesterday, Texas Republicans unveiled their opening redistricting proposal, attempting to protect Party incumbents in the state from an electorate that is rapidly diversifying, according to the 2020 Census.
Following the opening proposal, Voto Latino President and CEO Maria Teresa Kumar, issued the following statement:
“Texas added two million Latinos to its population in the 2020 Census, and yet State Republicans’ opening proposal still found a way to gerrymander and avoid adding districts that represent this growth. The GOP’s efforts to hold power by hand-picking their voters isn’t even coy anymore. It is blatantly racist, partisan politics that aims to silence Latino voices through diminishing the power of their voting bloc by packing and dividing them into convoluted district lines that lessen their representation.
“Latino population growth was the primary factor in why Texas has been allotted two new Congressional seats next cycle, yet the gerrymandered districts make it harder for Latinos to have a say in who those new elected leaders will be. It is yet another display of Republicans fearing their own constituents by rigging the system and disenfranchising voters of color and young voters, and it must be struck down by the courts until objectively fair lines are drawn that maximize representation of who Texas voters really are. The Latino population boom also means billions of dollars in federal funding for the state of Texas and a potential business opportunity, but redrawing the district lines unfairly makes the community suffer – not getting the resources it needs to thrive.
“This opening redistricting proposal is further evidence that Texas Republicans, and Republican state legislatures across the country, believe they can act with impunity in their crusade to suppress the vote. It is an urgent threat to democracy that our federal legislators must recognize and immediately counteract by passing the Freedom to Vote Act, banning partisan gerrymandering, strengthening protections for communities of color, and putting the power in the hands of the people where it belongs.”
If you’d be interested in speaking with Maria Teresa further about Texas Republicans’ racist redistricting proposal, we’d be happy to arrange an interview.
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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.