October 14th 2023.
Today, Federal Judge Jeffrey V. Brown ruled that Galveston County’s 2021 Commissioner Courts maps violated the federal Voting Rights Act, and ordered the county to draw new maps by October 20th. According to the Texas Tribune, Judge Brown ruled that the map “denies Black and Latino voters the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and the opportunity to elect a representative of their choice to the Commissioners Court.”
The legal battle began in August, when evidence was presented to establish that Galveston County had taken advantage of its first opportunity to draw maps without government oversight to stop Black and Latino voters in the county’s Precinct 3 from having control over their political representation. The only Democrat on the county commissioner court, Stephen Holmes, is a Black man who was elected directly from Precinct 3.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, a Republican, has indicated that he will appeal the ruling. He said, “The County followed redistricting law and did not engage in any racial discrimination. We believe this will be vindicated by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As County Judge, I have never lost a voting rights act case on appeal.”
The Texas Civil Rights Project celebrated the win on Tuesday, saying that the ruling “strikes down the 2021 Galveston County redistricting map drawn in a way that discriminated against the county’s Black and Latino citizens.” In a statement, Sarah Xiyi Chen, an attorney in the Project's voting rights program, said, “We are thrilled with today’s decision — now, Black and Latino Galveston residents will once again have a fair shot to influence the decisions that shape their community.”
The Department of Justice, local LULAC chapter, and three local branches of the NAACP joined forces to fight the county maps only four months after they were initially adopted. This made today’s ruling even more meaningful, as it reaffirms that every citizen’s right to vote and representation should be protected and valued.
The Supreme Court appears to be on the cusp of allowing a South Carolina map that was deemed racially biased by a lower court. The 2022 version of the Republican-drawn map removed 30,000 Black residents from a district. A panel of three federal judges ruled in January that the map violated the 14th and 15th Amendments. Leah Aden, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, commented that the changes “reflects that there was a racial target, it reflects that there was a significant sorting of Black people, it reflects unrebutted expert evidence of race rather than party explaining the assignment of voters.”
In June of 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against Alabama Republicans, ordering them to redraw their maps and create a second majority-Black U.S. House district in the state.
Today’s win in Galveston County is a major victory for minority voters, and a strong reminder that racial discrimination in the election process is still a major issue. We’re pleased that our voices are being heard, and that we can make a difference as we fight for our right to a free and fair election.
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