Hispanics have relatively little power in the Republican-controlled state Legislature. | AP photo Plan puts more Dems on Texas map

A leading Hispanic voting-rights group has filed a redistricting plan for Texas that would create nine Hispanic-majority congressional districts in the state’s new 36-seat map. And since each district would give Democratic candidates a decided advantage, the result would most likely increase the number of House Democrats from Texas to 12 — up from 9.

The ambitious proposal would be a dramatic departure from the makeup of the current 32-seat delegation, which has seven Hispanic-majority seats but only four Hispanic Democrats. Texas is adding four seats due to reapportionment.


One of those seven seats is occupied by Rep. Gene Green, an Anglo Democrat who has represented his heavily Hispanic Houston-area district for 10 terms. Two other districts are represented by freshman Republicans who defeated incumbent Democrats last November. Rep. Francisco Canseco, who is Hispanic, ousted Rep. Ciro Rodriguez; Rep. Blake Farenthold, who is Anglo, was a surprise winner over Rep. Solomon Ortiz.

Under the proposal by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, both Canseco and Farenthold would be in jeopardy. In addition, the Austin-based district of Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, which has been Anglo-majority, would become 62 percent Hispanic, with a majority of its population in the San Antonio area.

Democrats and Hispanics have relatively little power in the Republican-controlled state Legislature, but the proposal could still influence this spring’s redistricting debate in Austin. With the demographic demands of the state’s booming Hispanic population plus enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, which requires federal approval of the new Texas map, the plan provides early insight into the political and legal imperatives that map-drawers must consider.

“The maps presented today demonstrate that additional Latino-majority congressional districts can and should be created to provide a fair opportunity to Latino voters,” said Nina Perales, MALDEF litigation director. “Latinos composed 65 percent of the state’s growth over the past decade, and at least two Latino-majority congressional districts are required under the federal Voting Rights Act.”

MALDEF’s plan drew just nine new Hispanic districts and left it to the Legislature to handle the rest of Texas.

Under the plan, Farenthold would shift from a district whose voting-age population is 69 percent Hispanic to one that is 75 percent Hispanic. The seat would shed some of its Anglo population in the Corpus Christi area; Brownsville’s Cameron County, along the Mexican border, would be the anchor of the new district. Under that scenario, Farenthold would have to consider the option of running in a district to the north of Corpus Christi.

Canseco would be drawn out of the San Antonio part of his district, which would shift from nearly two-thirds of Bexar County to a district in which the majority would reside in Webb and El Paso counties along the border. Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar would, in effect, be the incumbent for the district. Although the MALDEF map does not project where Canseco would reside, he might be left to run against veteran GOP Rep. Lamar Smith if he decided not to challenge Cuellar in a more heavily Democratic new district.

As expected, one of the two newly created Hispanic districts would be in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, with about two-thirds of its residents in Dallas County, many of whom are now represented by Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Democrat, and Pete Sessions, a Republican. Its voting-age population would be 64 percent Hispanic. The other new Hispanic district would be based chiefly along the border of Hidalgo County, including an area that has been largely represented by Cuellar, and would extend nearly to San Antonio, with a total Hispanic population of 77 percent.

The four other Democrats who currently hold Hispanic-majority districts — Reps. Charles Gonzalez, Ruben Hinojosa, Silvestre Reyes and Green — apparently would face limited changes. Hinojosa would gain the remaining slice of Corpus Christi from Farenthold’s district.

The release of MALDEF’s map follows recent news reports that the Texas Republican delegation has been split over how many new Hispanic districts should be created by the Legislature. POLITICO has reported that Republican Rep. Joe Barton has sought to limit the number to no more than one. That goal might seem even more elusive, assuming MALDEF presses its plan through federal courts or the Justice Department.

MALDEF submitted two plans Thursday, with relatively modest differences. Perales said the group wants to show state lawmakers alternatives in the San Antonio area.

The Texas House Redistricting Committee has begun hearings to review its options. The Legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn by May 30. Although there is ample precedent for taking redistricting to a special session, the looming Voting Rights Act review has fueled GOP divisions over the timetable and legal strategy, which may be further complicated by MALDEF’s initiative.