In the latest special session of the Texas Legislature, a new congressional redistricting plan has been introduced by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi. This plan includes key areas of Fort Bliss and El Paso International Airport remaining in the district of El Paso Democrat Veronica Escobar.
The previous redistricting bill introduced in the first special session, which was disrupted by a walkout by Democrats, aimed to move the Fort Bliss headquarters and main housing areas into the 23rd Congressional District represented by San Antonio Republican Tony Gonzales. However, this plan faced opposition from a bipartisan group of El Paso political and business leaders who argued that Fort Bliss and the airport are vital economic engines for the city and should remain in Escobar’s district.
The current redistricting effort is at the request of former President Donald Trump, who asked Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s 38 U. S. House districts in a way that would likely result in the GOP gaining five additional seats in the 2026 midterm elections. While the purpose of this redistricting is to give Republicans an advantage in 30 Texas House districts, the map introduced in the first special session also included changes in some districts that did not alter the partisan balance.
House Bill 4, the redistricting bill introduced in the new special session, includes the same lines to create five new GOP-dominant districts, with the only changes being made in El Paso County. However, enough Democrats have stayed away from the Capitol to prevent a quorum, delaying the start of the session. It is expected that the quorum will be restored in the coming days.
The House Redistricting Committee, chaired by Rep. Todd Hunter, has not commented on the new plan. Democratic Rep. Joe Moody, the only El Pasoan on the committee, declined to comment. While most of the 62 House Democrats fled the state to block a quorum in the previous session, only one of the four El Paso House members, Rep. Vince Perez, participated in the walkout. Moody and Rep. Mary González were present at the Capitol during the quorum break, while Rep. Claudia Ordaz was dealing with a personal issue.
Moody, who is the highest ranking Democrat in state government, has been vocal about his opposition to the redistricting plan, calling it “fascist. ” However, he believes that he can be more effective in raising objections to the bill by remaining in Austin.
The redistricting plan is subject to change as it is debated by the Texas House and Senate. As of now, it includes keeping key areas of Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Airport in Escobar’s district, but this could potentially change in the future.