Crooked Lines, Clear Intentions

Redistricting hearings, minus the maps.

Yesterday, the House Committee on Redistricting held a meeting in Houston, with over 1,000 people in attendance. It was jam-packed, the hearing room was full, so were the hallways outside. Not everyone was able to testify, so the House Democratic Caucus afterward continued with “The People’s Hearing,” as they did last time, making sure that every person who showed up had their voices heard.

Outside of the hearing room.

I figured I had a good system for watching and recording these hearings. I’ve been screen recording them on my computer while watching/listening to them on my phone, with one earbud in as I go about my day. Then, after the kids are settled for the night, I can quickly make the clips from the recordings, and I know exactly where to go because I have already listened to/watched them.

Well, I blundered that in Friday’s article when I uploaded a candidate’s technical difficulties instead of his later testimony. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Let’s try this again.

Etienne Rosas is running a primary campaign against establishment Conservative Democrat Vicente Gonzalez Jr. for TX-34 (CD-34). He’s running on a progressive platform. Below is his full testimony in the Texas Senate. Please give it a watch. He has the platform and the personality. Now, he needs the attention.

Back to yesterday. The House Redistricting Committee held a hearing at the University of Houston in Congressional District 18, the district once represented by Sheila Jackson Lee, which has been vacant for a long time. The community showed up with righteous indignation and reminded the Republicans that Texas was not only theirs.

Jasmine Crockett, of course, stole the show.

Here’s her entire appearance. It’s an hour long, but I’m sure you’ve already seen clips all over social media.

We’ve been following Jasmine Crockett’s career since 2021, when she was in the Texas House and broke quorum with the rest of the Texas Democrats, then went to DC. That’s also when she got the bug to run for Congress. But she started her testimony reminiscing about the 2021 quorum break with the Republicans on the dias.

If you get the chance to watch the video, you’ll also hear from Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and Representative Josey Garcia. They all took turns exposing how GOP mapmakers surgically sliced apart communities of color.

Several young people testified against the Republicans’ redistricting efforts. I was very proud of these young men.

They did such a great job.

It happened in TX18. Several TX18 candidates testified.

Following Isaiah Martin’s stunt, I’ve been speaking with Harris County organizers and progressives and their intentions regarding this race, and I am making this information public now. I am sharing all of these videos below in the interest of fairness and transparency, but I intend to formally endorse Christian Menefee in the coming months.

Here are the TX18 candidates testifying against the Republican redistricting efforts:

Christian Menefee:

Corisha Rogers:

Amanda Edwards:

Ebony “Rain” Eatmon:

Robert Slater:

Zoe Cadore:

Isaiah Martin:

Then, there was the virtual Senate hearing.

While the House Committee on Redistricting was holding its hearing in Houston, the Senate Committee on Redistricting was conducting its meeting online simultaneously. There were only a few dozen people, if that, who attended this hearing. These Senate hearings haven’t been as widely publicized on social media or pushed by Senate Democrats. I’m sure there’s a Senate Democratic Caucus, but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard from them before.

There are only a few testimonies I wanted to highlight.

First, DeSoto Mayor Pro Tem Crystal Chism. She’s someone I could see in a higher office someday.

And just like Houston, several young people spoke out against the redistricting efforts. Like this young man:

And this young lady:

The youth may save us. If only we can convince all of them to vote. A recent YouGov poll showed that, among all age groups, Gen Z was experiencing the most buyer’s remorse over Trump. Progressive Democrats in Texas could capitalize on this in the upcoming election cycle.

Poll

In 2026, Gen Z will be the first majority nonwhite generation. Cost of living was at the top of young people’s minds in 2024 when it came to the issues they prioritized when voting. Which, again, makes Texas ripe for progressive populism.

About redistricting.

The fight is far from over. These hearings are grueling. Each one starts with a Q&A session from Democrats to the chair, like this:

They’re trying to get Republicans to say as much information on record as possible, because that’s what’s used in later court cases. There will be court cases.

We still do not have any maps. Republicans are still claiming they have not seen any maps. I bet that the Trump Administration will hand the maps to Ken Paxton’s office and team of attorneys before they review them and hand them to Dan Patrick. Then, Dan Patrick will give it to Phil King, and he will be the one to upload maps to the portal “for appearances.” And that will be the maps they push.

Cody Vasut confirmed in Saturday’s hearing that there will be more public hearings after the Legislature publishes a map. Now, whether that one hearing in Austin or multiple hearings across the state will be held remains to be seen.

Currently, we have two more hearings scheduled for Monday and one for Tuesday. Here is the schedule:

🚨🚨 Calls To Action 🚨 Stop Trump' Texas Takeover🚨

It’s possible we could see the Legislature’s map by the end of the week. After that, perhaps they’ll schedule more public hearings, at least one. I would expect them to have at least one public hearing on the map before they take to debate on the House and Senate floors. I don’t know what happens from there. If Republicans don’t back down, will Democrats break quorum? I don’t know.

This is bigger than the maps.

What unfolded at the University of Houston yesterday was a collective demand for accountability, transparency, and justice. Texas in 2026 isn’t going to hinge on traditional electioneering alone. It will increasingly be shaped by whether campaigns and leaders can earn the trust and votes of a nonwhite, cost-conscious, and increasingly engaged youth electorate.

What matters the most is to ensure those maps don’t strip Texans of their right to choose their own representatives and advocates.

The people you’re trying to carve out of democracy aren’t going anywhere. They’re organized, they’re energized, and they’re ready.

The lines may be crooked, but the reckoning is straight ahead.

• August 23: Last day of special session

• November 4: Constitutional/TX18/SD09 Election

• Who Will Be On The 2026 State Ballot?

• Who Will Be On The 2026 Federal Ballot?

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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