Redistricting gives Republicans in the state the opportunity to ‘increase their strength and numbers’, experts say

Experts, politicians and concerned Texans say their state could be a blueprint for Republican efforts to stave off losses in next year’s elections, with some calling the GOP division a “festering wound” in Texas – all while Donald Trump stacks the deck against potential Democratic inroads.

Last month, nearly 150 people showed up at a Tarrant county commissioners court meeting in north Texas. The packed building wasn’t used to such a high volume of visitors, but the day’s key vote had been hotly contested for weeks.

In an unusual move, the commissioners court initiated a redistricting process that both liberal and conservative voters widely criticized. One map, as proposed, would essentially funnel more people of color away from precinct 2 and into precinct 1, thereby creating an opening for a GOP that has historically underperformed with people of color. The map’s staunchest critics called the map “racial gerrymandering”, while the county judge, Tim O’Hare, claimed it was just about politics.