SCOTUS Rejects Alabama’s Attempt to Exclude a Second Black Congressional District
The Supreme Court this week rejected the Alabama Legislature's attempt to redraw its Congressional district maps without a second Black majority congressional district. While Alabama is 27% Black, only one of its seven Congressional districts is currently a Black majority after the Alabama GOP-controlled legislature redrew its maps last year. It has repeatedly ignored court rulings to fix the problem.
The ruling potentially has big implications in Texas where Hispanics are now the majority, yet the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature actually reduced Hispanic influence in many Congressional districts, and redrew one in South Texas to a White majority, resulting in it flipping to their control. Both Texas and Alabama argued that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (which ensures minorities have representation) is not applicable. SCOTUS did not agree with Alabama, while the Texas case is still in the courts. The GOP currently holds a 9-seat advantage in Congress, so a gain of even one seat for Democrats is significant.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is Now a Republican
The mayor of Dallas, Eric Johnson, who was just reelected (as a Democrat), came out as a Republican this past week. Those who follow Dallas politics know Johnson has always had a kinship with GOP politicians in Texas, so his switch is no surprise. But, to brazenly wait until after the election to reveal his true colors, tells us he is nothing more than an opportunist and has his eyes on a larger statewide office in Texas. We suspect he will run for Senate in a few years. Outrage online has a number of organizations calling for his removal via a recall, which would require 15% of City of Dallas voters to sign a petition within 60 days of it beginning. This difficult task has been tried repeatedly in the past and has failed. We will let you know if a recall effort begins. It will require a lot of effort to round up signatures, but people are justifiably angry about the bait and switch.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on the Hot Seat
The State Republican Executive Committee, the governing body of the Texas GOP, has officially passed a resolution requesting Dade Phelan resign as Speaker of the House for his role in impeaching Ken Paxton. The committee has no real power, so this is symbolic but shows the growing rift between moderates and MAGAs in the Texas GOP. Meanwhile, Paxton has gone back to work and is demanding backpay while he was sidelined. Many of his supporters are now suggesting he run for Senate. Democrats must get organized and compel voters to go to the polls so we can start winning statewide offices this decade and send both Paxton and Johnson home.
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All Hat No Cattle’s mission
We believe Democrats have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make real gains in the Texas House and Senate as Texas continues to trend Democratic. But we must focus on turnout in House and Senate Districts within the state. We must engage and inspire voters to go to the polls more than just every four years. Voters must learn to vote for every Democrat on the ballot and we have to give them a real reason to do it. Please consider donating to help us achieve this goal.
About the Author: Joel Montfort is an eighth-generation Texan, a political scientist, and a democratic activist. He has been actively involved in Texas politics for more than 8 years. He founded Richardson Area Democrats in 2017, was elected to the Texas Democratic Party's Executive Committee, served as president of Plano Area Democrats, and is currently a precinct chair in Collin County. He also owns a Democratic political consulting business.