Gerrymandering: Politicians Choose Voters

The Texas Legislature has posted new proposed congressional district lines. The 17th District will change a bit, losing most of the Travis County portion and picking up part of Williamson County and some additional rural counties in East Texas. Waco and Bryan will still be in the district. Incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Waco) is losing the residences of his two 2020 opponents, myself and Democrat Rick Kennedy. Coincidence… I think not!

My precinct (and Rick Kennedy’s precinct) in Wells Branch/Austin have been moved into District 10, another awkwardly shaped district held by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin), the richest member of Congress (because his father-in-law is owner of the Clear Channel Radio Network). I haven’t decided yet what to run for in 2022. It could be the District 10 congressional race, or maybe State House. We will see. But what is clear is that politicians choose the voters, rather than voters choosing the politicians.