House Redistricting Proposal Would Bring Denton into TX-13

Redistricting proposal from Texas legislators/Screenshot from redistricting.capitol.texas.gov.

Under a redistricting proposal submitted by legislators, Texas’ 13th Congressional District could creep further into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for the next few election cycles.

According to a redistricting proposal filed by Sen. Joan Huffman, Texas’ 13th Congressional District, which includes Amarillo and Wichita Falls, would be extended to pick up a portion of Denton County, an area currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess. District 13, which is the most Republican-leaning congressional district in Texas, is currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson.

As a result of this extension, while new voters would be added to the district from North Texas, some individuals currently represented in the district would be moved to nearby districts, such as voters in Swisher County, who would be moved into District 19, currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington.

Under the proposed redistricting, the population of the district would increase from 707,470 to 766,987.

While this proposal has been submitted by legislators, a different proposal submitted by the public would further change the boundaries of the district. Under a proposal from Jeff Harper, Wichita Falls would be removed from District 13, as the district would take a dip south to pick up a number of new counties and cities, including Plainview, Snyder, and Abilene. This proposal has not been submitted by any legislators at the time of publication.

Redistricting is slated to be a major topic of discussion during the ongoing Texas special legislative session. The maps must be in place by the time voters head to the polls for their first primary elections next Spring. The primary election is currently scheduled for March 1, but could rescheduled due to redistricting.