Vote 10: Elections Outcome May Impact State District Boundaries

This year, your vote counts for more than you may think.

That’s because the new state legislature will be responsible for redrawing district lines for the Texas State House of Representatives, the Texas State Senate and also for the U.S. House of Representatives.

UTEP Political Science Professor Greg Rocha told ABC-7 there’s a lot riding on the mid-term elections, especially in the borderland. “If this city is becoming more and more Democratic, and we see more and more Republicans get elected to office, then that has major implications,” he said.

Whichever party comes out on top will get control over the decisions to redraw voting districts that determine voter representation. “The democrats will support maps that tend to favor Democrats and the Republicans will favor maps that favor Republicans,” said Rocha.

The U.S. Census supplies the data for redrawing boundaries based on population growth. Because of the spike in population to the east, Rocha said districts will likely shift further in that direction.

Partisan politics play a large role in determining districts, however. For example, Rocha said that if Republican challenger Dee Margo defeats Democrat Joe Moody in the race for State Rep., District 78 may change altogether. “We’ll see if a district line could be drawn to make sure (Margo) holds on to that seat (if elected),” he said.

Republicans already have a large majority in the State Senate, but only a narrow four-seat edge in the State House. If they expand that lead tomorrow, they’ll have an easier time making more “safe republican” districts in the U.S. House as well.

As for the new U.S. House congressional district maps in Texas, Rocha said El Paso will probably not be affected. Texas is expected to get at least three additional seats in the house, but those new seats will probably go to faster-growing areas in the state than El Paso.