Texas Remap ruling gives Dems a boost

[Robbien]

By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News

ELECTIONS '06

AUSTIN – Democrats came out winners in a court decision on redistricting that was handed down Friday.

U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio, now must run in his hometown's heavily Democratic south side. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin keeps his Democratic base in Travis County, while Laredo Democrat Henry Cuellar received a district more anchored in his native Rio Grande Valley.

The ruling by a three-judge federal panel doesn't guarantee that Democrats, badly outnumbered in the state's congressional delegation by Republicans, will pick up seats this fall. However, combined with the mounting problems of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay – thwarted by another set of judges who refused this week to allow Republicans to replace him on the ballot – the redrawn map gives Democrats an unexpected boost.

"Democrats might pick up a seat or two in Texas and cut into the Republicans' 21-11 advantage," said Ed Sills of the Texas AFL-CIO, which generally backs Democrats. Democrats need 15 seats nationally to regain the House. Even before this week, they were talking up their chances of gaining up to a dozen.

Democratic consultant Matt Angle said changes to the state's congressional map by three federal judges show how far overboard the GOP-controlled Legislature went when it redrew lines in 2003.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-redistricting_05tex.ART.State.Edition1.2c5366b.html

[ananda]

1. It's not that much..

.. of a boost, really, but it's certainly better than nothing.

[existentialist]

2. A little bit here, a little bit there

two or three, or four seats in Texes, two or three in Connecticut, two or three in Florida, two or three in Ohio, one or two in Kentucky, one or two in Indiana, one or two in Tennessee, . . . it all adds up . . . to, we hope, at least fifteen.

a small bit of good news remains good news even if it is small, and there are lots and lots of small pieces of good news.

[rodeodance]

3. almost anything can be boost at this stage.

[skidrow]

4. Very Great News

No Democrats are harmed, Bonilla may lose his seat and Cuellar may be eventually primaried out!

[Robbien]

5. That is what I was thinking. This could have turned out very bad

but it didn't. In fact a few Democrats were helped.

So it is not a small win, it is a big win.

Yay

[Gman]

8. Nope, Cuellar is probably safe until after 2010 redistricting

With all of Webb County (Laredo) in CD 28, there's no where near enough votes in Bexar County to offset that. Bonilla Cuellar (oops, same difference) could rely on a solid 30K - 35K votes out of Webb before this. Now he's going to have all of Webb plus Zapata, which he already had.

And, it's not just the number of votes, its the rampant, outright vote fraud and unimaginable corruption in Laredo and Zapata that will keep Cuellar there. And, they will NOT get caught.

[SoCalDem]

6. Districts are no mystery.. they should use zipcodes

They determine areas well enough for the mail service...they should also determine represenattion

[Gman]

7. Bonilla's district still takes in Northwest Bexar County (San Antonio)

which is always good for 30K - 35K votes for Bonilla. Bonilla could not get elected without NW Bexar County. It doesn't appear to me that near enough votes were drawn into TX 23 to offset the advantage of NW Bexar Co.