Gerrymandering: Or why Texas incumbents rarely lose

Texas congressional districts, ranked from most to least gerrymandered



House District: 1 Representative: Louie Gohmert-R 2014 margin of victory: 54.9 percent

Challenger: Shirley McKellar-D Texas congressional districts, ranked from most to least gerrymandered



House District: 1 Representative: Louie Gohmert-R 2014 margin of victory: 54.9 percent

Challenger: Shirley McKellar-D Photo: Molina, Maribel, Courtesy Of GovTrack.us Photo: Molina, Maribel, Courtesy Of GovTrack.us Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Gerrymandering: Or why Texas incumbents rarely lose 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

Polls in the presidential race show Democrat Hillary Clinton within spitting distance of Republican Donald Trump in Texas. But, no matter how close the race at the top of the ballot is, it is unlikely the state's congressional delegation will look much different come Nov. 9.

For years in Texas, lawmakers have been picking their voters by drawing districts that are safe for either Republicans or Democrats, rather than the voters picking their elected officials.

It's a process called gerrymandering - a practice that is often used to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries.

READ MORE: This is how effectively the GOP has gerrymandered Texas

And, Texas lawmakers (Republicans, these days) are good at it.

Of the 36 seats in Congress representing Texas, only one is truly contested this year. That's the 23rd District, which stretches along the Texas-Mexico border from near El Paso to south of San Antonio.

Incumbent Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, and former Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, are squaring off in a rematch from two years ago in a close race.

For folks voting in Lubbock, Tyler, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston, there are incumbents and other names on the ballot (mostly). And, in some cases, two or three challengers putting up the good fight.

READ MORE: Turning Red: How Texas became a GOP stronghold

But, state lawmakers effectively cut out any base of voters an opposition candidate could rely on in an election by drawing district lines to ensure the incumbent (yes, both Democratic and Republican) had the voters needed to win.

That leaves any challenge to, say, Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, or Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, or Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, a long-shot at best.

That said, votes still count on Nov. 8. Just don't expect any significant changes in who goes to Congress in January from Texas.

Take a look at the gallery above to see just how gerrymandered Texas' congressional districts are based on the margin of victory in 2014.