It is that time of the decade again–redistricting. As is required by our Texas Constitution, the Legislature must redraw the boundaries of our Congressional, House, Senate, and State Board of Education (SBOE) districts to reflect the changes in population Texas has experienced in the previous decade. Some of these changes are minor, however, some are significant, which is why I feel it is appropriate to go over what is happening to Senate District 2 (SD 2) with you.
First let’s discuss the requirements. Where congressional districts must be drawn to maintain equal population, Texas legislative districts must be within a +/- 5% range of the ideal population, which is now 940,178 persons. Districts cannot be drawn to discriminate against race, however certain districts must be drawn to ensure minority populations have an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. Districts must be contiguous, and in the case of the House districts cannot break apart counties unless necessary to meet the population requirements.
SD 2 as is, was nearly perfect, with a population of 944,576 people, or a deviation from the ideal of only 0.5%. As great as it would have been to just leave the district as it is, the unfortunate reality is that our neighboring districts saw much greater changes, requiring adjustments to be made in order to conform their districts to the legal requirements.
Below, the area in grey is the current SD 2 that has been in use for elections in the past decade.
Below, the grey area is the newly approved SD 2.
As you can see in the images above, SD 2 will take on some major changes. To start, I am sad to report that the district is parting ways with Delta, Fannin, Hunt, Hopkins, and Rains counties, as well as some parts of Dallas County. While those of you who live in areas that will be moved to other districts will be obtaining new senators, know that I will continue to fight for the rights and liberties of all Texans, regardless of where you live.
I am pleased to welcome to the SD 2 family the residents of Ellis and Navarro counties as well as some new precincts in Dallas and Collin counties. Know that my staff and I will strive to see that you are represented in Austin and that the Government continues to work for you.
While the above map is what has been passed by the legislature, we now enter the time-honored tradition of Texas’s maps being challenged in court. While there is no guarantee anything will change, I will be sure to keep you updated if any litigation affects SD 2.