Overview

• Doggett, the longest-serving Texan in Congress, said he will not seek reelection in Austin’s reconfigured 37th District if courts allow Republicans’ mid‑decade map to take effect.
• The Texas House approved the plan and a Senate committee advanced it to the full chamber, with Gov. Greg Abbott expected to sign once it clears the Senate.
• The proposal merges Austin’s two Democratic seats into one, potentially netting Republicans up to five U.S. House seats and drawing Doggett and Rep. Greg Casar into the same district.
• Under the projections, the new 37th would include roughly two‑thirds of Doggett’s current constituents, while the redrawn 35th would include less than 10% of Casar’s and would have favored President Trump by about 10 points in 2024.
• Democratic groups are preparing Voting Rights Act and constitutional lawsuits alleging racial gerrymandering, and Democrats in blue states, including California, are moving counter‑redraws to offset potential GOP gains.