Round Up of Redistricting Press Releases

by: Katherine Haenschen

Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 00:39 PM CST

• Texas Democratic Party
• Lone Star Project
• Congressman Lloyd Doggett
• MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer
• Patrick Shearer, Candidate for CD-35
• MALDEF

Note the sad irony that MALDEF is mad that the maps don't create a Latino opportunity district in Nueces county (CD-27, currently held by Blake "Ducky Pajamas" Farenthold). They don't seem to be losing any sleep over the fracture of Travis, Hays, and Bexar county, which will result in less Democrats and thus less Latino and Latino-supported candidates being elected.  

"We appreciate the court's efforts, but their maps are far from accurate representation. These maps may be slightly better than those passed by a radical legislature but they still grossly misrepresent the demographics of our state. The Texas Democratic Party will continue to support our allies who are fighting to ensure that all communities are accurately represented."

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Lone Star Project:

Court Releases Interim Redistricting Plans

"Earlier today, the Federal District Court in San Antonio released the interim maps to be used for the 2012 elections in Texas. The court's congressional map (Plan C235) appears to be nearly identical to a compromise plan agreed to by the Latino Task Force and Texas Republicans.

The interim plan is a victory for African American and Hispanic voters in North Texas. New District 33 is a coalition district that includes the core African American and Hispanic neighborhoods in Tarrant County and then extends east into Dallas County to include Hispanic neighborhoods in Oak Cliff and parts of Grand Prairie and Irving. The turnout in Democratic primaries favors Tarrant County. The new congressional district includes most of the State House District of Representative Marc Veasey. Veasey is expected to run for the seat and should be considered the early favorite."

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Congressman Lloyd Doggett:

"As an effective advocate for schools, veterans, health care and retirement security, my service fits well with the neighborhoods that have now been joined from South San Antonio to North Austin. I will continue the visits with working families that I already have underway. And I will continue to stand up to Rick Perry and other extremists, whose misguided policies are threatening our families' security."

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MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer:

"The new court ordered interim plans once again demonstrate that the maps passed by the state legislature discriminated against Latinos and other minority voters.  It is difficult to examine the changes in the plans without a detailed corresponding opinion.  Our legal team has begun conducting an extensive, district by district, review of the plans to examine the impact on Latinos and Texas' increasingly diverse population. We will provide further commentary and a detailed analysis within the coming days. Make no mistake we believe that any map, even an interim plan, must acknowledge 3.7 million new minority Texans."

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Patrick Shearer, Candidate for CD-35

"I'm grateful for the broad support I've received during this campaign. While I'm still reviewing the court's decision, I didn't enter this race to run against Lloyd Doggett, who has been a longtime champion of progressive values in Texas. Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the maps, I plan to continue to be an advocate for issues that I'm passionate about, especially our children's education."

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Last and certainly least....

MALDEF

MALDEF STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO COURT-ORDERED INTERIM TEXAS STATE HOUSE REDISTRICTING PLAN
MALDEF and the Latino Redistricting Task Force react to creation of single additional Latino-majority House district for 2012 elections

SAN ANTONIO, TX -  In response to the three-judge federal panel's order adopting an interim redistricting plan for 2012 state House elections in Texas, Nina Perales, MALDEF Vice President of Litigation and lead counsel for the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force in Perez v. Perry, provided the following statement:

"The court's plan is inferior to the compromise House plan offered by the State of Texas and the Latino Redistricting Task Force because the court interim plan fails to create an additional Latino-majority House district in Nueces County.  At the very least the court should have accepted a plan that met legal requirements and that reflected what the State was willing to offer to increase Latino political opportunity.  We expect to continue to advocate in court for the creation of a permanent plan that incorporates additional Latino electoral opportunity."

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