The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is suing Texas over its redistricting plan, which would eliminate five Democratic congressional seats.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims the new congressional map “was enacted with an impermissible and controlling discriminatory purpose on the basis of race.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson are named in the suit.
“It’s quite obvious that Texas’s effort to redistrict mid-decade, before next year’s midterm elections, is racially motivated. The state’s intent here is to reduce the members of Congress who represent Black communities, and that, in and of itself, is unconstitutional,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement Tuesday.
The NAACP is also urging blue-leaning states to enact their own redistricting plans to counter the impact of the new Texas map.
“At this time, the NAACP is urging California, New York, and all other states to act immediately by redistricting and passing new, lawful, and constitutional electoral maps,” the group said Tuesday. “We must counter Texas’ unconstitutional move and ensure that if all else fails, Black Americans still have a voice in Congress.”
Texas approved its new map on Saturday, securing a political victory despite weeks of Democrats breaking quorum, including leaving the state to avoid a redistricting vote.
The Republican-controlled state Senate passed the map on Friday, just two days after it cleared the GOP-held House with an 88-52 vote.
The new maps have sparked a nationwide redistricting clash. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democrats approved their own map on Thursday, creating five new districts that lean Democratic, putting Republican seats at risk.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is countering Texas by pushing his own redistricting plan in California.
Newsom’s map will face a statewide vote on Nov. 4 before being implemented. That special election is expected to cost taxpayers around $230 million.
In response to criticism about the cost, Newsom’s office said, “There’s no price tag for democracy.”
