Redistricting discussions moving along
The Texas House and Senate are in the midst of discussing redistricting down in Austin, and so far, Hopkins County will elect a new state senator in November 2022. However, the county’s state representative and congressman should remain the same.
HOUSE PROPOSAL
So far, the proposal voted out of the House committee Tuesday has District 2’s Bryan Slaton as the representative for Hopkins County. The map will likely see changes before signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, but any amendments will probably focus on the urban districts.
District 2 is still made up of the same three counties under the proposal: Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt. All counties voted heavily Republican in the November 2020 election.
SENATE PROPOSAL
The Texas Senate approved a draft of their districts and has sent it along to the House. For Hopkins County, it remains largely unchanged from the initial proposal which saw the county become a part of District 1 under Bryan Hughes.
The counties within District 1, which would range from Fannin to Panola, all voted heavily Republican in the November 2020 election.
CONGRESSIONAL PROPOSAL
US District 4 representative Pat Fallon will remain the congressman for Hopkins County under the latest proposal approved by a Texas Senate subcommittee. His district shrinks in the number of counties represented from 18 to 11 and shifts west.
However, Fallon’s district looks rather strange in its boundaries. After representing all of Hunt County, Fallon will only represent a southern slice, sharing it with District 3 congressman Van Taylor. Taylor previously represented only a part of Collin County, which narrowly voted Republican in 2020. Adding Hunt County would make it a safer district for Taylor while not affecting Fallon.
Fallon also represents small areas in Collin County and Denton County under the new proposal, taking parts of Frisco, Prosper, Little Elm and Plano. The district would stay safely Republican under the proposal.
WHAT’S NEXT
The congressional district maps have made it through the senate subcommittee but have yet to be approved by the upper chamber. The Texas Senate map has been received in the House and will likely see changes by the time it comes to the floor. The Texas House map, like the congressional map, has only just emerged from a subcommittee.
All maps need to be approved by both chambers and then signed by Abbott.