Texas Republicans are moving forward with a redistricting plan that would dismantle the seat of the South’s only openly LGBTQ member of Congress. Out lesbian Julie Johnson, a Democrat representing Texas’ 32nd congressional district, is condemning the GOP-backed proposal passed by the Texas House of Representatives. Under the plan, her district would be split into eight different pieces, stretching as far as East Texas and the Oklahoma border.
Johnson said in the statement, “This is not democracy, it is a corrupt power grab designed to protect Donald Trump and his failed policies while ensuring Republican control for another decade. These maps were drawn behind closed doors with one goal in mind, to keep power in the hands of a New York felon while denying fair representation to Texans. It is an insult to every voter who believes their voices matter in our democracy.”
The maps are expected to take effect in 2026, threatening Johnson’s ability to hold her seat. She made history in 2024 as the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from the South. California Governor Gavin Newsom responded by calling for a special election in November to add five Democratic seats in his own state, a move aimed at countering Texas’s advantage. Johnson stressed that Democrats will not back down.
