Unintended Consequences of Texas Gerrymandering

Mayhill Fowler has a good entry over at the huffingtonpost regarding the Texas Gerrymander’s effect on the upcoming Texas Democratic Primary. Here are a few highlights:

“In 1992, a panel of three Reagan-appointed federal judges in Texas approved a state senate redistricting map that gave Republicans control of the Texas state senate for the first time since Reconstruction. This scheme provided the foundation for Tom Delay’s subsequent gerrymandering of congressional districts – and ultimately will prevent Hillary Clinton from winning a significant majority of the 126 delegates up for grabs in the Texas primary on March 4th.”

“While drawing district lines in such a way that ensured victory for a Republican state senator, the Republicans also made sure that the Democrats in each new district were divided between moderate whites and/or African-American Hispanic minorities. The thinking was that these competing Democratic constituencies would cancel each other out–and that is exactly what is likely to happen come March 4th, because by putting a bit of black in as many state senate districts as possible, the Republicans have blunted the chances for Hillary Clinton to take a majority in districts that have 4 delegates to offer. Most of the 31 state senate districts that will determine the Texas primary deliver 4 delegates. Therefore, Hillary Clinton will be hard-pressed to find a way to a clear-cut victory in Texas.”

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