The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Nov. 5, 2026
Written & Produced by:
November 4, 2026 12:11 pmSAN ANTONIO, TX — When President Donald Trump demanded mid-decade redistricting to create more GOP seats in Texas in July 2025, he unleashed a gerrymandering arms race. Analysts expected most of those rigged districts to give Republicans comfortable margins. But the blue wave apparently breached those seawalls.
Trump’s request set off a chain reaction of gerrymandering in California, Florida, Missouri and other states. In Texas, epicenter of the Trump redistricting, the Texas Tribune reports that Republicans lost in four of five of the congressional districts they gerrymandered, and instead of winning the expected 30 of 38 seats, won only 24.
One factor in the heavy Democratic-leaning turnout was the shift of Hispanic voters from supporting Donald Trump, estimated at from one-third to one-half of Latino voters in 2024. Recent polling by Pew Research, Target Smart and others showed Hispanic families reporting more concern than white voters about the economy and direction of the country.
In south Texas, incumbent Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar held the 28th District after it was manipulated to have an 11-point margin of Trump voters. Democrat Congressman Vicente Gonzalez still won the 34th District, engineered with a 10% Trump voter advantage.
While unpopular policies and a challenging economy drove the wave, longterm, the damage to fair redistricting in both red and blue states may take years to unwind.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources
Texas Tribune – Texas Republicans’ gerrymander backfires as Democrats gain ground in U.S. House delegation
Axios – Latinos’ rejection of GOP boosts Dems in Texas upsets
Associated Press – (September) Republican redistricting in Texas and Florida may not turn out as Trump had hoped
The Texan – Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar Defeats Republican Tano Tijerina
Target Smart – Beyond the Ballot: What’s Driving Black, Hispanic, and Young Voters
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – Polling Shows Hispanic Voters Are Experiencing More Anxiety About the Economy and Other Issues. They’re Responding by Turning Out to Vote.
American Democracy Minute – (2025) Texas Senate Republicans Approve Gerrymandered Congressional Map; California Democrats Pass Bill to Put Retaliatory Maps on the Ballot
Groups Taking Action:
League of United Latin American Citizens, Mi Familia Vota
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Subscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.
Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #HispanicVoters #Texas #BlueWave #LatinoVoters