Lloyd Doggett

His announcement comes after fellow Democrat Lloyd Doggett said he would not run for reelection if the redrawn map is upheld, avoiding a showdown over the new District 37 seat.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Doggett said he would, "prefer to devote the coming months to fighting Trump tyranny and serving Austin rather than waging a struggle with fellow Democrats."

The longtime Austin representative pointed to Biden's debate performance last week, along with the incumbent's showing in the polls.

The newly released funds come after educators and state Democrats urged the governor to unlock the pandemic relief money as schools plan their budgets for the next school year

The Texas Democratic congressional delegation has asked the U.S. Education Department to block the governor from potentially diverting federal COVID-19 dollars away from public schools.