Congressional district mapping ruled invalid, including Dist. 27

Three judges forming a federal panel recently made a ruling on Texas’ electoral maps which stands to rattle state politics.

The judges ruled 2-1 on Friday, March 10, Texas purposefully discriminated against black and Latino voters when mapping congressional districts in 2011. The judges ruled three of the state’s 36 districts violate either the U.S. Constitution or the Voting Rights Act.

The 166-page ruling by the San Antonio-based district judges was the latest in a case that goes back to 2011.

In 2013, the district court found evidence of intentional discrimination when redrawing the congressional district boundaries.

The ruling Friday states map drawers “acted with an impermissible intent to dilute minority voting strength” in some districts, according to the ruling. This included “packing” and “cracking” populations of minorities in certain districts to reduce their influence across the larger electoral map.

Texas did not dispute that it practiced “extreme gerrymandering.” The state’s lawyers, however, said only partisanship, not racism, motivated lawmakers to pack and crack Democrats.

Under Friday’s order it is made clear the 2011 map cannot stand, but did not order anyone to immediately redraw it. 

The judges found fault with Congressional District 23, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, takes in most of the Texas-Mexico border and is represented by Republican Will Hurd of Helotes; Congressional District 27, represented by Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi; and Congressional District 35, a Central Texas district represented by Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin.

Farenthold's district includes parts of Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales and San Palacio counties; all of Lavaca, Victoria and Wharton counties; and, several coastal bend counties, such as Aransas, Calhoun, Jackson, Matagorda, Nueces and Refugio.

Farenthold issued a brief statement on the ruling.

"This matter is in the hands of the court and while I expect it to be appealed, I look forward to continuing to represent the people who elected me," Farenthold said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could ask the U.S Supreme Court to weigh in on the case. But it’s not clear when or whether the Republican will do that — largely because of how open-ended the ruling is.

Paxton weighed in on the matter Monday.

"There are no lines to redraw. Accordingly, we are confident we will prevail in this case," Paxton said.

The redistricting case is one of two that could trigger preclearance, once again causing Texas to seek permission for future districting.

The Texas Tribune contributed to this article