By Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 Reporter
Dallas, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: Matthew Wilson, an assistant professor in SMU's Political Science department, says once-a-decade redistricting by state legislators is completely political. That's obvious. Political maps can steer a party to success or defeat for at least the next ten years, sometimes many more. But not everyone involved with redistricting is looking out for, say, the party's interest in his or her state. Wilson says some are looking out more for themselves and those closest to them
J. Matthew Wilson, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Southern Methodist University, and co-author, "Competing Redistricting Plans and Evidence of Political Motives": We can expect those who want higher office will get active in drawing some of the districts.
Zeeble: Wilson adds the most ambitious will sit on redistricting committees, or, failing that, submit their own plans anyway, and seek out media interviews they'd rarely pursue otherwise. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson did some of that ten years ago. She first served in the Texas House, then was elected to the state Senate. With her eye on a seat in Congress, the African American from Dallas chaired the Senate Redistricting Committee.
Eddie Bernice Johnson, United States Congresswoman (District 30): If I hadn't been there, we'd have been cheated out of it just like we were the two times previously. We'd been deprived of having a chance 20 years longer that we should have been.
Zeeble: Elected in 1992, Johnson became the first woman and African American elected to Congress from Dallas. She currently chairs the Congressional Black Caucus. Some local Hispanic Democrats are now wanting the same kind of power, especially since there will be two new Congressional seats in Texas. State Representative Domingo Garcia wants one of them. That's no surprise to Rob Allyn, a political consultant who's worked mostly for Republican candidates Rob Allyn, political consultant: (Laughing) Certainly if you look up ambitious Democrat in the dictionary, you'll see Domingo Garcia's picture.
Domingo Garcia, Texas State Representative, District 104: I seek opportunities like anyone else.
Zeeble: State Representative Domingo Garcia
Garcia: I may not want to hold a Congressional district, but I would like to have someone in my neighborhood have that opportunity - whether that's a Jose or Maria, I dunno.
Zeeble: Garcia's not a member of the House Redistricting Committee but has submitted his own plan of Hispanic-heavy house districts for North Texas. They could help him win a Congressional seat. Political writer Ross Ramsey, editor of the "Texas Weekly," has seen the plan.
Ross Ramsey, Editor, Texas Weekly: Domingo is trying to draw three Hispanic districts and would like to draw four. Problem is, it costs white and maybe black Democrats. He drew a map that doesn't include anyone else in the county. He just drew three Hispanic districts and said, "Draw the rest of the map around it." That was his way of not threatening anyone.
Zeeble: But Ramsey says it does threaten four state Democratic incumbents: Harriet Ehrhardt, Steve Wolens, Dale Tillery, and Terri Hodge. Garcia says that's not the point.
Garcia: Now we're gerrymandered. We're packed into small areas. We're divided. And that's what we're fighting. We just want a fair deal. If we do, maybe I'll run for Congress. Maybe State Senate.
Zeeble: Garcia says Dallas has the highest number of new Hispanics of any place in the country except for Phoenix. And that there are more Latinos in the D/FW area than in South Texas.
Garcia: While I'm cautiously optimistic we can get something done in the Legislature, I believe it'll eventually wind up in the courthouse. And in the courthouse, I do believe we'll get a fair deal.
Zeeble: Garcia's argument may carry legal weight, and election lawsuits based on race have gone further than others. But for his plan to win in the Legislature, his colleagues need to adopt it. Political writer Harvey Kronberg, who publishes the on-line Texas political journal "Quorum Report," says that's not likely because of what happened during the 2000 election campaign.
Harvey Kronberg, publisher, "Quorum Report": He's not well regarded by colleagues. He committed the cardinal sin of recruiting primary opponents against Anglo Democrats. He said race is more important than all else we do in the Legislature. The Speaker would never say this, but the Speaker makes himself available for fundraisers of all Democrats. My own observation is the only one he didn't do a fundraiser for last session was Domingo Garcia.
Zeeble: Sam Attelsey, Political Reporter for the Dallas Morning News, says ambitious Republicans may be less likely to encounter obstacles on their way up. That's because Republican Congressional hopefuls appear less confrontational or threatening to other Republicans. When rising stars in the Texas Legislature are discussed, Senator Florence Shapiro of Plano tends to lead most lists.
Sam Attelsey, Political Reporter, The Dallas Morning News: That's such a temptation for any politician, to have a brand new Congressional seat thrown wide open, with no incumbent; and you're well-known 'cause your Senate district covers much of what would be the new Congressional boundaries for that new seat, and she can raise money. It's a pretty big temptation.
Zeeble: Senator Shapiro currently sits on the Senate Redistricting Committee.
Florence Shapiro, Texas State Senator, District 8: Am I carving out a district for myself? No, not necessarily, I'm not. If it just happens there's one that looks like I might one day want to run for, I wouldn't preclude that from happening today. I would not say at this point in my political career that it's out of the question, but it's not an objective. But you never say never in politics.
Zeeble: Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey calls that response coy but logical, since Shapiro is just one of several Republicans who might consider running for a new Congressional seat. Ramsey: If I get the right map, I can move up the food chain and enhance my career by becoming, you know, a Congressman. The converse of that is, if I expose my ambition, it tells everybody else what they can take away from me, what's important to me. If I'm a Florence Shapiro and I do want to run for Congress, I don't want to say so at this point.
Zeeble: What Shapiro and other Republican leaders will say is they prefer districts more compact than those drawn 10 years ago. The state?s population has grown, especially in the sprawling suburbs, where residents lean Republican. Voters in more tightly drawn, less gerrymandered regions, goes the theory, will add Republicans to the Legislature and Congress. But state Republican Party chair Susan Weddington says any change becomes a hard sell to current officeholders, even Republicans.
Susan Weddington, Chairperson, Texas Republican Party: Officials say, "I don't want a change. I know the people and they know me; there'll be a new group of people I haven't been elected by before. So there's a feeling, "I'm here, doing a good job, and I want to make it easy for myself."
Zeeble: Weddington says the party's role is to apply pressure away from an incumbent protection plan. SMU's Matt Wilson says even those ambitious politicians who get the lines they wanted don't always end up winning the district they drew for themselves. He also believes the state is in for a change anyway, one that's been underway for several years.
Wilson: This breed of politician that for decades dominated southern and southwest politics - the kind of moderate to conservative Democrat - is really in trouble. 'Cause voters are saying, "If we want conservative representation, we'll go elect Republicans." Those who remain on the liberal Democrat end predominantly are members of minority populations, and they want to see members of their own community elected.
Zeeble: Leading Wilson - and others - to say the state's white Democrat is an endangered species. In the Legislature, that would include Texans like David Cain and Steve Wolens. In Congress, that includes Ken Bentsen and Ralph Hall. For KERA 90.1, I'm Bill Zeeble.