If Republican redistricting efforts succeed, Congress might not only lose safe Democratic seats — it could lose some of its diversity as well.
Several of the districts Republicans are targeting in redistricting efforts are held by Black and Latino Democratic lawmakers.
The districts represented by Reps. Greg Casar, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez are set to shift significantly to favor Republican candidates in Texas’ redrawn congressional map. In Missouri and South Carolina, redistricting plans under consideration could push out Reps. Emanuel Cleaver and Jim Clyburn, who have been in their seats for 20 and 32 years, respectively. And in Indiana, Republican redistricting efforts could affect Rep. André Carson, whose seat has been held by a Black House member for over 20 years.
“What we’re seeing in states like Texas is nothing short of a direct assault on our representation in Congress,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke said in a statement to NOTUS, calling the Texas maps “racially gerrymandered.”
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“The Congressional Black Caucus could potentially lose critical seats, which would undermine decades of progress in securing fair representation for our communities,” she continued.
Black lawmakers make up about 15% of the House, while Black people make up about 14% of the United States’ population. Latino lawmakers make up about 12% of the House, while Latino individuals make up almost 20% of the total U.S. population.
CBC and Congressional Hispanic Caucus members said that being in the House isn’t just about surface-level diversity. Caucus members have been key to crafting legislation that has affected communities of color across the country. And both groups have also helped develop pipelines of diverse talent not only in the House chamber but also in political staffing in and around Washington, D.C.
“As they say in New York, if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu,” CHC Chair Adriano Espaillat told NOTUS in a phone interview, describing the potential cost of Congress becoming less diverse. “That diminishes every form of government when important sectors of society are not at the table. The decisions that are made don’t reflect the opinions of everybody.”
The Democratic National Committee accused Republicans of “waging a calculated campaign to erase Black and Latino political power through extreme gerrymandering.”
“These are deliberate, targeted efforts to push people of color out of power,” DNC spokesperson Marcus Robinson said in a statement.
Republicans have rejected allegations that redistricting was done on racial lines.
“No amount of identity politics can cover up the fact that out of touch Democrats voted to raise taxes, bankroll illegal immigrants, and put criminals back on the streets,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez told NOTUS in a statement. “If Democrats are so worried about losing their seats, maybe they should try delivering for their constituents instead of hiding behind cheap racial smears.”
Democrats argued that they are working for their constituents — and that the size of each caucus is key to their power. Two members of House Democratic leadership, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, are also members of the CBC and CHC, respectively.
“Right now we have an outsized impact on our caucus because the volume is much, much greater,” Cleaver told NOTUS, referring to the Democratic Caucus.
With several CBC and CHC members’ seats potentially on the line, some members in both groups said they fear they won’t be able to influence decisions at the federal level the way they used to.
It could also cause problems for recruiting, Espaillat said. He said he has already noticed that political hopefuls in districts that Republicans have “packed” and “cracked” are hesitant to run against each other because Republicans “split communities, making it very difficult for that community to have the voice.”
“When the deck is stacked against you, it’s harder to recruit capable, well-qualified candidates that understand that because the district has been gerrymandered, the chances of them winning are slim,” Espaillat said.
Espaillat also has concerns about the CHC’s standing both at the federal level and in the Democratic Caucus. NOTUS asked Espaillat whether the CHC’s influence could decrease in not just Congress but also in the Democratic Caucus if some of their members lose out due to redistricting.
“I think that the Democratic Party is trying to maintain the numbers or increase them. And so I hope that’s the case,” he said. “But any group, CBC or CHC, if they have less members, their power is diminished.”
Cleaver said he was confident that Republican redistricting efforts wouldn’t change the broader Democratic Caucus’ commitment to its values.
“We have never had to drag our caucus along on the issue of civil rights or issues of inclusion,” Cleaver said.
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