LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Lampasas County could soon fall under new representation in Washington D.C. as part of a congressional redistricting plan proposed during Texas’ special legislative session.
Watch the full story here:
“I was disappointed, because I think it was great to have a special session to talk about the issues around the flooding, but the redistricting is not something that is done typically in the middle of the decade, we just did it a few years ago,” said Stacey Swann, treasurer of the Lampasas County Democratic Party.
Wendy Daugherty, chairman of the Lampasas County Republican Party, agreed the timing was unusual but said change is inevitable.
“Them doing it outside the census, is probably not one the best ideas they have ever had, but I think they are trying to rewrite a few wrongs," Daugherty said. "Either way they do it is fine with me. I think regardless if you do it now, or you do it five years from now, it’s going to change.”
Republican lawmakers are seeking to redraw district maps in hopes of adding five additional GOP seats in the U.S. House.
The proposal would move Lampasas County from Congressman August Pfluger’s District 11 into Congressman John Carter’s District 31.
“Unfortunately, Lampasas has been used kind of like a pawn to move around to different districts recently,” Swann said. “The problem with moving us around like that is that the constituents really need to develop a relationship with the person who is representing them.”
“Lampasas is one of those counties that they like to have in their pocket, and if they need to move it around – and that’s basically what redistricting is all about. It’s all a numbers game, it always has been,” Daugherty said.
Swann, reviewing current and proposed maps, pointed out how different the boundaries would look.
“You can see that Lampasas is on the far east side, and it stretches all the way over to the Odessa-Midland area. But under the new maps, you see are very different, so we are on the edge of this here,” Swann said.
Now, with House Democrats back in Austin after a two-week walkout, the debate at the Capitol is drawing national attention.
“I think that maybe the Democrats ought to push for whatever they can get with this,” Daugherty said. “Again, we have had really good representation in the past, and I really think it will continue to be like that regardless of who ends up being our representative.”
“If you feel like this is for political reasons, and our politicians aren’t really representing what our communities need and doing the work that needs to be done, call your house representative. Those are the people that are going to be voting on it, as well as our house senate,” Swann said.
