Redistricting Puts Fayette County in New Congressional District

Governor Greg Abbott signed new U.S. Congressional District maps into law last Friday, Aug. 29.

The recent redistricting effort places Fayette County in a new Congressional District, U.S. House District 27, which is currently represented by Republican Congressman Michael Cloud of Victoria.

Fayette County had been part of U.S. House District 10, represented by Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Austin.

Governor Greg Abbott tasked the State Legislature with redrawing the state’s Congressional districts during the first special session this summer. Normally, states take up redistricting every 10 years following the U.S. Census.

For this rare mid-decade effort, the Governor cited constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). President Donald Trump had also called for Texas to redraw district lines to give Republicans a chance of gaining U.S. House seats during the mid-term elections next year.

The redistricting bill didn’t pass the Texas Legislature without a fight, though. Democratic lawmakers fled the state in protest during the first special legislative session, which stalled the bill due to a lack of quorum. The Democrats eventually returned to Texas during the second special session, and the bill passed.

The fight will now head to the courts. Groups representing Black and Hispanic voters already filed lawsuits to block the new districts, which will likely give the Republicans five more seats in the U.S. House.

A panel of three federal judges will consider the challenge early next month.