Rural Texans Deserve Fair Representation, Not Political Games

To the Editor:

Most of us believe voters pick our leaders – politicians do not pick which voters to heed and which to silence. I strongly oppose the Governor’s inclusion of congressional redistricting legislation in the Special Session of the 89th Texas Legislature.

Texans across the state— including in our rural communities— are facing real challenges: recovering from deadly floods, struggling with rising costs, and working hard to support their families. These are the issues that deserve our lawmakers’ attention— not a rushed and unnecessary redistricting process driven by political ambition.

The proposed mid-decade redistricting is deeply flawed. It would unfairly weaken the voices of Black, Latino, Indigenous, immigrant, and working-class Texans—many of whom live and work in rural areas. It’s not about fairness or legal necessity; it’s about clinging to power by undermining the representation of growing communities of color, who contributed to 95% of Texas’s population growth over the past decade.

The maps drawn in 2021 are still under review in federal court. Changing them now—before the courts have ruled—is not only premature but deeply disrespectful to the rule of law and to voters in every corner of Texas, rural and urban alike.

Our rural communities already face barriers to resources, health care, broadband access, and economic development. We cannot afford to be further marginalized by political gerrymandering that ignores the needs of everyday Texans in favor of extreme partisanship.

The Legislature should focus on what truly matters— disaster recovery, affordable housing, health care, and the economic future of rural Texas— not partisan redistricting schemes that divide and distract.

Mary Wolf Muldoon