http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/5redistrict.html
Judges release congressional map for fall elections
Doggett gets more of Central Texas
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, August 04, 2006A three-judge federal panel today released a new congressional map for the November elections that gives U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, more of Travis County and Central Texas.
Under the plan, Doggett would keep southeast Travis County, add the southwestern portion of the county as well as southern Bastrop County and all of Hays, Caldwell, Gonzales, Lavaca, Colorado and Fayette counties. Doggett loses the portion of his current district in the Rio Grande Valley.
The judges also reunited Webb County into one congressional district, solidifying Hispanic voting strength in South Texas.
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered a new map to reverse discrimination against Latinos in the sprawling 23rd District, now represented by U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio. Changes in that district forced judges to adjust neighboring districts, including Doggett's.
"These changes restore Latino voting strength to District 23 without dividing communities of interest," the judges said.
The panel placed Webb County, which includes Laredo, entirely in the 28th Congressional District, which is represented by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.
It added portions of Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, to Bonilla's 23rd District. That district, which includes most of the region near the state's border with Mexico, stretches from Laredo to El Paso County and north to San Antonio. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the district boundaries drawn by Republican state legislators in 2003 diminished Hispanic voting power because a large cluster of Webb County Hispanics were divided into two different congressional districts.
The new plan also moves Kerr, Kendall, Bandera and Real counties into the 21st Congressional District, represented by Republican Lamar Smith of San Antonio.
I am not sure how they got the 55 percent Democrat figure or what that is supposed to mean. In any event I feel better from other reports. Best news is Cuellar won't be running against Bonilla again.