Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas sharply criticized the redistricting process in her state during a Thursday House Oversight Committee hearing on the 2020 Census. Crockett’s comments focused on the racial demographics behind Texas’ population growth and the allocation of two new congressional seats, which she alleged unfairly benefited white Republican districts.
Crockett highlighted the state’s addition of four million people between censuses, claiming that 95% of the population growth came from minorities. She criticized the Census Bureau for undercounting minority groups and accused Texas Republicans of manipulating redistricting to disenfranchise communities of color.
“We added 4 million people they were people of color, Texas got two new seats. So they took those black and brown and Asian bodies and guess what? Do you think that we got a new black, brown or Asian seat?… We got two new Republican seats out of 4 million people of color. So let — let me tell you, they — they love to use our bodies to — to apportion us in an inaccurate way,” Crockett asserted.
Despite Trump’s support from heavily Hispanic communities in the 2024 election, Crockett blames Republicans and racism for the redistricting that took place following her state’s population growth. “Somehow the way that they do their Republican math in the state of Texas, that amounted to 2 new white seats,” she added.
In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump secured 55% of the Hispanic vote in Texas, marking a significant shift in the state’s political landscape. This support contributed to his victories in 14 of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, effectively doubling his performance in these Latino-majority regions compared to 2020.
