Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat mainstay since 1995, just dropped a bombshell by announcing his retirement in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling on the state’s new congressional map.
According to The Hill, this story boils down to Doggett stepping away from public office after the high court greenlit a Texas redistricting plan that tilts the playing field toward Republican candidates.
Let’s rewind to earlier this year when Texas GOP lawmakers rolled out a fresh congressional map, redrawing district lines to bolster their party’s chances and shrink the number of Democrat-held seats.
Democrats in Texas weren’t having it, with some lawmakers even hightailing it out of state to stall the vote by denying a quorum in the legislature.
After getting promises from big-name Democrats like California Gov. Gavin Newsom to counter with their own partisan redistricting elsewhere, the Texas Democrats returned, and the map squeaked through into law.
But the fight wasn’t over—a panel of federal judges stepped in during November, slamming the brakes on the map by calling it a likely racial gerrymander.
Texas appealed, and the Supreme Court issued a quick administrative stay to keep the map in play while they deliberated. Fast forward to Thursday, when the justices officially ruled that Texas could use the new boundaries for next year’s midterm elections, much to the chagrin of progressive activists.
By Friday, Doggett had seen enough, issuing a press release to announce he’s hanging up his political spurs after a decades-long career.
In that statement, Doggett didn’t hold back, saying, “Trump’s racial gerrymandering is only his first major shenanigan designed to win next year’s election and retain a House that poses no restraint to his dangerous whims and incessant drive for unlimited power,” as reported in his Friday press release.
Now, let’s unpack that—while Doggett’s frustration is palpable, pinning this solely on one figure ignores the broader Republican strategy in Texas to secure electoral advantage through legal means, a tactic both parties have played for decades.
Doggett also added, “More outrageous schemes will follow,” per his Friday press release, hinting at a future of political chess moves that conservatives might argue are just the name of the game in a divided nation.
Give credit where it’s due—Doggett’s tenure since 1995 shows a commitment to his constituents, even if one might question the left-leaning policies he’s championed.
His praise for Justice Elena Kagan’s dissent in the Supreme Court ruling suggests he’s leaving with a bitter taste, feeling the judiciary has tipped the scales against fair representation, though many on the right would argue the map simply reflects Texas’s shifting political landscape.
As this saga closes, Doggett’s exit marks a symbolic win for Texas Republicans, who’ve managed to redraw the battle lines—literally—while Democrats scramble to regroup for the midterms ahead.
