Members of Congress from Houston are pushing back against a special legislative session called by Governor Greg Abbott. The session aims to redraw Texas’ congressional district maps—a move opponents fear will further reduce the already limited Democratic representation in the state.
What sparked the Special Session?
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The letter identified four Texas congressional districts as unconstitutional due to them being “coalition districts” and current examples of racial gerrymandering.
Three of these districts are in Houston and one is in Dallas. These districts, called coalition districts, historically protected under voting rights laws, are areas where two or more minority groups typically vote together to elect candidates. The DOJ now argues these districts violate the Constitution.
The districts under scrutiny
The four districts involved are:
- 18th Congressional District (Inner-City Houston)
- 9th Congressional District (Southwest Houston)
- 33rd Congressional District (Dallas-Fort Worth Suburbs)
- 29th Congressional District (East Harris County)
Three of these districts are majority Black, and one is majority Hispanic. The 18th district is currently vacant after the March death of Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Political fallout
Amanda Edwards, former Houston city council member and current candidate for the 18th district, says the vacancy allowed a controversial bill—dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill”—to pass by a single vote. She argues the redistricting plan is politically motivated.
“Had I been the 18th congressional district member, I would have voted to block that big, beautiful bill that is now harming communities,” Edwards said.
Edwards also expressed concerns for the special election called to fill the seat happening after the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed and sees both the redistricting and empty 18th congressional seat as part of a larger political plan.
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher echoed concerns in a statement, saying:
“Republicans already have a lopsided partisan advantage,” Fletcher said.
Congressman Al Green (District 9) was even more direct.
“If this redistricting goes through, there may be no Black Democratic congressional representation from Texas,” Green said. “It’s a racist power grab, and we have to say it.”
Green says if the redistricting happens, his next steps will be filing a lawsuit.
Why now?
Redistricting typically follows the census, but political analyst Vlad Davidiuk explains these coalition districts have been unchallenged for years.
“Districts 9, 18, 29, and 33 were drawn along racial lines that are no longer legally permissible because they’re considered coalition districts,” Davidiuk said.“The law has now caught up with reality.”
The Texas Legislature is acting quickly, choosing to address the issue through this special session rather than waiting on court orders or lawsuits.
Current political landscape
- Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 U.S. House seats
- Democrats hold just 12 seats
- Nationwide, the House split is 220 Republicans to 212 Democrats, with three Democratic seats vacant
The special legislative session focused on redistricting is set to begin July 21st. Meanwhile, the special election for the 18th Congressional District seat is scheduled for November 4th.
