(C) Texas Tribune This story was originally published by Texas Tribune and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Blast - July 28, 2025 [1] ['The Texas Tribune'] Date: 2025-07 If the Legislature redraws congressional lines now, those districts would have to hold until November 2030. In order to retain the House for the rest of his presidency, Trump only needs the districts to hold through 2026. Democrats suggest redistricting could hurt Republicans in 2026, but the political scientists who coined “dummymander” — including now-University of Texas at Dallas political science, public policy and political economy program head Thomas Brunell — note that the effects could be felt over the course of a decade. “It is a concern,” Moran said. “We need to make sure that we’re longterm in our view of strategy.” It’s not just hopeful liberals who are talking about that prospect. On Inside Texas Politics on Sunday, WFAA’s Jason Whitely asked U.S. Rep. Nathan Moran , R-Tyler, about the possibility that redistricting could backfire on the GOP. Drawing district lines that backfire is a concept known as a “ dummymander ” — or “dumb-mander,” if you’re state Sen. Judith Zaffirini , D-Laredo. Meanwhile, Democrats’ House Majority PAC today launched the Lone Star Fund, with plans to raise $20 million to recruit and support competitive Democratic candidates across Texas. The plan includes expanding the PAC’s Recruitment Fund to contest GOP seats, especially those where incumbents haven’t had to run a competitive general election campaign in recent years. All four districts fall in key areas where Republicans hope to expand their map. This morning, the liberal national-level group Unrig Our Economy rolled out a $2 million digital ad campaign targeting four Texas GOP incumbents over Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and Medicaid cuts: In the current redistricting process, pushed by President Donald Trump and called by Gov. Greg Abbott , Republicans hope to dismantle minority opportunity districts in Harris County and North Texas in order to create more GOP-leaning seats. To do so could thin out the Republican vote in their preexisting seats. Republicans hope to squeeze four or five more GOP seats out of Texas during the mid-decade redistricting that is underway. But if they aren’t careful, there’s a chance the GOP will put their congressional incumbents at risk. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one . WHAT TO EXPECT ON REDISTRICTING THIS WEEK The House and Senate’s congressional redistrict committees are almost done with their field and regional hearings, meaning it’s almost time for the first maps to go public. At the beginning of the first House hearing, Chair Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, noted that the committee could consider a new map after the first round of meetings, which ends today. He also advised committee members to keep their calendars open this coming weekend. Another issue on the docket is that Democrats on the Senate committee want to interview Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant U.S. attorney general who wrote the letter to Gov. Greg Abbott that identified the 9th, 18th, 29th and 33rd congressional districts as unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Chair Phil King, R-Weatherford, says he sent an email on Friday inviting her to testify. King said that if the committee does not hear back from the Justice Department by Wednesday that they could have a formal meeting on the Senate floor after the body meets at 11 a.m. on that day. Democrats could request a subpoena, which would require a two-thirds vote in committee. “I’ll take up that motion,” King said. But King is unsure whether a state legislative body has the power to subpoena a federal officer and compel them to attend. He’s asked Lege Council to research the possibility. In today’s House committee hearing, Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, said there is a process for the District of Columbia to enforce a subpoena from elsewhere, which the panel could use to bring the DOJ before Texas lawmakers. [END] --- [1] Url: https://thetexastribune.beehiiv.com/p/the-blast-july-28-2025-188d943b5241334e Published and (C) by Texas Tribune Content appears here under this condition or license: Used with Permission: https://www.texastribune.org/republishing-guidelines/. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/texastribune/