Congressional maps approved by legislature/Screenshot from Texas Legislature Redistricting website
The Texas Legislature adjourned from its special session on Monday night after finalizing the passage of redistricting maps to be used during the 2022 election cycle, along with several other priorities outlined by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Under the newly created legislative maps to be used through the 2030 election cycle, Texas has gained two new congressional seats and seats for the U.S. House, Texas House, and Texas Senate have been redrawn in what critics have claimed is an effort to bolster Republican electoral chances. Regardless, the maps have changed the dynamics of the 2022 elections in Texas, with several announced candidates and incumbents across the state moving districts or suspending their campaigns for election in response to the redistricting maps.
As for the Amarillo area, the districts including the Panhandle’s largest city have seen slight changes. The State Board of Education’s District 15, which includes Amarillo, has seen the addition of a few new counties to its footprint, while Senate District 31 has picked up a few new counties to the south of the Midland-Odessa area. Amarillo Reps. John Smithee and Four Price will also see their Districts 86 and 87 slightly change in size due to the removal of a few counties from Rep. Ken King’s District 88 in order for those counties to be added to Smithee and Price’s districts.
The biggest change Amarillo residents might see as a result of redistricting is in the size of Texas’ 13th Congressional District, which is currently represented by freshman Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Amarillo). Under the approved redistricting map, Jackson’s district will see a few less Panhandle voters included in its boundaries as it extends further into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area, picking up a sizable chunk of Denton County.
While the new district boundaries have been finalized by the legislature, they await the signature of Gov. Abbott to officially become law. The maps must also survive any legal challenges brought forward, which is expected by groups in opposition to the current maps.