Fayette County Changes Ahead Amidst State Redistricting
Redistricting underway at the state level could place Fayette County in a brand new state house district.
Fayette County is currently a part of State House District 13, represented by Republican Ben Leman of Anderson. Leman announced on Sept. 3 that he would not seek a fourth term as state representative.
The latest map under consideration by the Texas Legislature would put Fayette County in a newly-drawn State House District 85. It would include Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Waller and Wharton Counties along with a small portion of rural Fort Bend County.
The total population of the proposed District 85 is 202,964. The main population includes El Campo, Wharton, Hempstead, Prairie View, Sealy and the west part of Katy, which are all to the south and east of here. Fayette County, lying at the far western edge of the new district, would make about 12 percent of the district’s total population. Waller County, on the other hand, would comprise more than a quarter of the district’s population.
Fayette County will likely remain in State Senate District 18, represented by Republican Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, and U.S. Congressional District 10, represented by Republican Michael McCaul. Those districts would be redrawn, however.
State Senate District 18 currently includes all of Aransas, Austin, Burleson, Calhoun, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria, Waller, Washington, and Wharton Counties, about half of Fort Bend County and small portions of Harris and Nueces Counties. The proposed senate district
The proposed senate district would lose Colorado, Wharton, Jackson and Matagorda Counties along with a portion of Waller County. It would gain all of Grimes County and a portion of Montgomery County.
U.S. Congressional District 10 currently covers all of Fayette, Washington, Austin, Colorado, and Waller Counties, about half of Bastrop County, about two-thirds of Lee County, a small portion of Harris County and an unusually-shaped projection into Travis County. If driving from his home in West Lake Hills to La Grange, McCaul would have to travel through three other districts.
The proposal to redraw the district would add much of conservative-leaning cities in western Travis County such as Bee Cave, Lakeway and Lago Vista. It would also add a large portion of Brazos County including College Station. The district would stretch to the east as far as Walker County. Texas was awarded two new
Texas was awarded two new U.S. Congressional Districts following the 2020 Census. So far, it appears that Texas lawmakers will create one of those new districts in the Austin area, favoring Democrats, and another in a conservative-leaning area of Houston.