The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 6, 2025
The first challenge to gerrymandered Texas congressional maps reached a federal courtroom October 1st, as a three-judge panel heard testimony about the 2025 maps in a previously filed 2021 racial gerrymandering case.
The original 2021 case consolidated multiple complaints about the Texas legislature’s discriminatory maps, which the legislature defends by claiming the gerrymandering was done for partisan, not racial, reasons. Partisan gerrymandering was deemed a state, not federal, issue by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019.
The 2025 gerrymandering, at President Donald Trump’s request to gain five GOP congressional seats and cling to power in the U.S. House, was done for partisan reasons. But to do it, zealous Texas legislators split congressional districts Austin, Dallas and Houston, diluting the voting power of Black and Hispanic communities.
A U.S. Supreme Court case last year, Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP, set a higher bar for proving an INTENT to discriminate, and that diluting voting power of minority voters didn’t necessarily constitute racial gerrymandering – for the moment still prohibited by the Voting Rights Act Section 2. South Carolina legislators had also claimed they had done so for partisan, not racial, reasons when they shifted 30,000 Black voters into an adjoining overwhelmingly White district.
The trial is expected to continue through Oct 10th.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Associated Press – Trump tells Texas Republicans to redraw the state congressional map to help keep House majority
American Redistricting Project – League of United Latin American Citizens v. Abbott
Texas Tribune – Can Texas use its new congressional map for 2026? A trio of judges will decide.
Texas Tribune – At hearing, Democrats say the redistricting process was flawed from the start
U.S. District Court (via Texas Tribune) – Supplemental Complaint in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Abbott
Texas Tribune – Visual Analysis: Republicans look to gain five U.S. House districts
Groups Taking Action:
League of United Latin American Citizens, NAACP,MALDEF, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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