AUSTIN, Texas — Minorities will make up the majority of voters in three additional Texas congressional districts under a proposed redistricting map released by a federal court Wednesday, which is expected to give Democrats an advantage in the 2012 elections as they seek to win back the House.
Minorities already are the majority in 10 out of 32 Texas districts, and the new map will raise that to 13 out of 36, if the court gives the map final approval as expected.
The San Antonio-based federal court drew the maps after minority groups sued the state, claiming a redistricting map drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature does not reflect the growth in the state’s Latino and black population.
In a separate case in Washington, a federal court refused to approve the lawmaker-drawn map without a trial, agreeing with the Department of Justice that there was sufficient evidence to question whether it hurt minority representation.
Also Wednesday, the San Antonio federal court issued final maps for state Senate and House districts that are very similar to ones proposed last week that could also lead to greater minority representation. The court dramatically redrew those maps from what the Legislature passed, giving Democrats a chance to add as many as a dozen seats in the Legislature.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders have denied that any of the Legislature’s redistricting maps would diminish minority voting power.
