MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — McLennan County Commissioners unanimously voted to redraw precinct lines, a decision that took effect Thursday. While county leaders say the move addresses population growth and balances workloads between precincts, local Democrats are criticizing it as gerrymandering designed to hurt their electoral chances.
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The redistricting comes after the Commissioners Court became all-Republican when the Precinct 2 seat flipped for the first time in nearly 30 years following the 2024 election.
However, the court says this is not a partisan issue.
"Our precinct lines were very, very chopped up and unnatural, and now we're getting a little bit closer to being more of a natural look," said Precinct 2 Commissioner D.L. Wilson.
Wilson explained that his area used to be much smaller than Precinct 4, creating an imbalance that the redistricting aims to correct.
McLennan County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Hays called the decision gerrymandering by moving the districts it did out of Precinct 2.
"We think it is basically an attempt to gerrymander Precinct 2 county commissioner into a place much more likely to vote republican based on the 2024 election results," Hays said.
"The timing of this and the effect is very dramatic," Hays added.
Hays said Democrats are trying to increase voter turnout efforts in response.
"We're gonna be working on getting out the vote for the next year, and I think we'll get some good results from that," Hays said.
Commissioner Wilson maintains the redistricting was not partisan, emphasizing his commitment to serve all residents regardless of political affiliation.
"It's about what person can do the job for everybody. It's not about a black, white, or hispanic position with power. It's about who can do the job for all. This is a melting pot in McLennan County," Wilson said.
County officials say the redistricting will help balance responsibilities and staffing between precincts. County Judge Scott Felton said in a statement that the goal is to keep McLennan County's precinct framework "equitable, efficient, and responsive to the county's continued growth and needs."
The new precinct lines will first impact the March primaries. Commissioners say the changes will make it easier to determine which precinct residents live in on the map. Residents can check their precinct online.
Each precinct has a commissioner who represents them and is responsible for county-wide policy making as well as some roads and bridges. Commissioners are elected to serve four-year terms.
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