Texas

Racial Representation
Of the voting population of 6,232,350, 28.7% are Latino and 11.0% are black.  Under the current 32-district system, black voters do not make up the majority in any district and Latino voters make up the majority in seven districts.  There are currently two black and six Latino representatives from Texas.  Under the proposed super districting plan, Latino voters are well-positioned to elect four candidates of choice.  Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could, in coalition with other minority and white voters, elect seven candidates of choice.  Black voters are well-positioned to elect one candidate of choice.  Black voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could, in coalition with other minority and white voters, elect three candidates of choice.		 Political Analysis
In the 2000 Presidential election, George W. Bush won Texas with 59% of the vote over Al Gore's 38%.  The state's Democratic partisanship is 40.6%.  Under the current 32-district system, 21 districts can be considered Republican, ten can be considered Democratic, and one can be considered competitive.  Under the proposed super districting plan, voters would likely elect a total of 16 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and four candidates who could come from either party.

 

SUPER DISTRICT A - FIVE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 14 136460 (65.6%) 71434 (34.4%) - - 207894 7.7% 32.0%
Texas 15 63495 (45.5%) 76161 (54.5%) - - 139656 1.3% 78.3%
Texas 20 64659 (42.9%) 86133 (57.1%) - - 150792 5.3% 68.2%
Texas 27 75600 (48.7%) 79716 (51.3%) - - 155316 2.1% 71.6%
Texas 28 62275 (40.8%) 90202 (59.2%) - - 152477 7.5% 69.6%
Total   402489 (49.9%) 403646 (50.1%) - - 806135 5.0% 61.5%

Winning Percentage:

16.7%
Voting Rights Analysis: Latino voters are well-positioned to elect two candidates of choice.  Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a third candidate of choice in coalition with other minority and white voters.
District Partisanship: 51.7% This super district would likely elect two Democrats and two
Republicans with one swing seat.

 

SUPER DISTRICT B - FIVE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 7 130053 (67.9%) 61498 (32.1%) - - 191551 11.3% 25.9%
Texas 9 124578 (55.3%) 100778 (44.7%) - - 225356 21.1% 14.4%
Texas 18 47335 (25.5%) 138059 (74.5%) - - 185394 42.2% 32.6%
Texas 22 156219 (68.2%) 72806 (31.8%) - - 229025 10.1% 19.7%
Texas 25 81359 (48.4%) 86764 (51.6%) - - 168123 22.7% 34.3%
Total   539544 (54.0%) 86764 (46.0%) - - 999449 20.9% 24.5%

Winning Percentage:

16.7%
Voting Rights Analysis: Latino voters are well-positioned to elect one candidate of choice.  Black voters are well-positioned to elect one candidate of choice.
District Partisanship: 47.6% This super district would likely elect two Democrats and two
Republicans with one swing seat.

 

SUPER DISTRICT C - FIVE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 1 142544 (64.1%) 79801 (35.9%) - - 222345 16.2% 7.4%
Texas 2 133641 (63.0%) 78493 (37.0%) - - 212134 13.8% 8.8%
Texas 5 118703 (62.1%) 72507 (37.9%) - - 191210 15.8% 17.7%
Texas 8 187243 (77.7%) 53843 (22.3%) - - 241086 5.2% 13.0%
Texas 29 42770 (39.4%) 65863 (60.6%) - - 108633 14.7% 62.2%
Total   624901 (64.1%) 350507 (35.9%) - - 975408 12.7% 17.2%

Winning Percentage:

16.7%
Voting Rights Analysis: Both black and Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a candidate of choice in coalition with white and other minority voters.
District Partisanship: 37.5% This super district would likely elect two Democrats and two
Republicans with one swing seat.

 

SUPER DISTRICT D - FIVE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 3 154525 (72.2%) 59357 (27.8%) - - 213882 6.6% 14.4%
Texas 4 157678 (70.2%) 66995 (29.8%) - - 224673 11.7% 9.4%
Texas 24 70665 (45.7%) 83806 (54.3%) - - 154471 21.7% 38.0%
Texas 26 166762 (73.3%) 60771 (26.7%) - - 227533 5.0% 11.0%
Texas 32 129527 (64.9%) 70029 (35.1%) - - 199556 9.1% 27.4%
Total   679157 (66.6%) 340958 (33.4%) - - 1020115 10.1% 18.7%

Winning Percentage:

16.7%
Voting Rights Analysis: Even though Latinos are above the victory threshold they would likely need crossover support to elect a candidate of choice.  Black voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a candidate of choice in coalition with white voters.
District Partisanship: 35.0% This super district would likely elect three Republicans and two
Democrats.

 
SUPER DISTRICT E - THREE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 12 141032 (66.6%) 70751 (59.3%) - - 211783 4.5% 19.9%
Texas 13 156330 (74.6%) 53146 (25.4%) - - 209476 5.6% 21.6%
Texas 17 161877 (72.2%) 62241 (27.8%) - - 224118 3.8% 19.6%
Total   459239 (71.2%) 186138 (28.8%) - - 645377 4.6% 20.3%

Winning Percentage:

25%
Voting Rights Analysis: Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a candidate of choice in coalition with other minority and white voters.
District Partisanship: 30.4% This super district would likely elect two Republicans and one
Democrat.

 

SUPER DISTRICT F - THREE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 16 56276 (40.7%) 81860 (59.3%) - - 138136 2.9% 77.7%
Texas 19 149350 (75.5%) 48400 (24.5%) - - 197750 5.6% 34.1%
Texas 23 105789 (58.6%) 74727 (41.4%) - - 180516 1.4% 66.8%
Total   311415 (60.3%) 204987 (39.7%) - - 516402 3.4% 57.2%

Winning Percentage:

25%
Voting Rights Analysis: Latino voters are well-positioned to elect one candidate of choice.  Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a second candidate of choice in coalition with other minority and white voters.
District Partisanship: 41.3% This super district would likely elect two Republicans and one
Democrat.

 

SUPER DISTRICT G - THREE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 10 89738 (46.9%) 101534 (53.1%) - - 191272 10.9% 33.0%
Texas 21 206157 (72.8%) 77056 (27.2%) - - 283213 2.1% 17.2%
Texas 31 160802 (71.6%) 63903 (28.4%) - - 224705 9.0% 16.9%
Total   456697 (65.3%) 242493 (34.7%) - - 699190 6.7% 21.4%

Winning Percentage:

25%
Voting Rights Analysis: Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a candidate of choice in coalition with other minority and white voters.
District Partisanship: 36.3% This super district would likely elect two Republicans and one
Democrat.

 

SUPER DISTRICT H  - THREE SEATS
     

            2000 Presidential Vote

     % Black % Latino
State CD Bush (%) Gore (%) Other (%) Total Origin Origin
Texas 6 146931 (66.9%) 72754 (33.1%) - - 219685 10.2% 13.5%
Texas 11 129701 (67.5%) 62465 (32.5%) - - 192166 15.4% 16.4%
Texas 30 48916 (30.9%) 109507 (69.1%) - - 158423 40.5% 31.1%
Total   325548 (57.1%) 244726 (42.9%) - - 570274 20.4% 19.4%

Winning Percentage:

25%
Voting Rights Analysis: Both black and Latino voters supporting a candidate with crossover appeal could elect a candidate of choice in coalition with white and other minority voters.
District Partisanship: 44.5% This super district would likely elect one Democrat and one
Republican with one swing seat.

 

This proposal is based on the current congressional districts of Texas.  Because current congressional districts are often the results of gerrymandering, the proposed super district boundaries are not as smooth and nice-looking as they could be in a similar proposal that made use of sub-congressional district data.