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In 2021, Galveston County was found by a U.S. District Judge to have breached the federal Voting Rights Act while redrawing districts for its commissioners court.
By former President Donald Trump’s appointment, Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has declared that the county’s 2021 commissioners court precinct map unfairly restricts the involvement of Black and Latino voters in the political process. Furthermore, it deprives them of the chance to elect a representative of their preference to the commissioners court. Consequently, the county has been instructed to revise the map before October 20th.
The lawsuit represents the initial county-level redistricting case following the latest census, which prompted involvement from the federal government.
The trial, which began in August, focused on how the county utilized its first opportunity to redraw precincts without federal oversight to break up the sole commissioner precinct where Black and Latino voters made up a majority of the electorate. Precinct 3, where Black and Latino residents had built political groups and selected their representative on the court, was chopped in the 2021 map.
In order to ensure that white voters constituted a minimum of 62% of the electorate in each of the four precincts, the map deliberately divided Black and Latino communities. Consequently, the electoral influence of Black and Latino voters was suppressed, given that white voters in Galveston generally favor distinct candidates.
Republicans had a dominant 4-1 majority on the court before the redistricting. The sole Democrat, Stephen Holmes, a Black man representing Precinct 3, had been appointed in 2011 and subsequently elected by voters in 2012, 2016, and 2020. There have been no commissioners court elections conducted since the implementation of the newly drawn maps.
The court’s decision prohibits the nomination or election of county commissioners according to the current precinct map. Any activities related to administering, enforcing, preparing for, or permitting such nominations or elections are now halted. The commissioners court is required to devise a new plan by November 11, 2023, in order to proceed with the 2024 election.
The deadline for the county to submit a revised redistricting plan is on October 20th, and plaintiffs have the option to file objections to the new map until October 27th. On November 1st, there will be an in-person remedial hearing held by the court to determine if the new plan should be implemented. If the defendants do not meet the deadline or choose not to submit a revised plan, they will be required to implement the plan put forward by Anthony Fairfax, an expert witness hired by the plaintiffs, on August 10th.
Judge Mark Henry, a Republican serving Galveston County, expressed his disappointment with the ruling in a statement, adding that the county intends to appeal.
He stated that the County adhered to redistricting regulations without any involvement in racial discrimination. He expressed confidence that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals would validate their actions. Additionally, as County Judge, he emphasized that he has never experienced defeat in an appeal related to the voting rights act.
After the adoption of the map, residents who opposed it received backing from three local branches of the NAACP, a local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Department of Justice found the commissioners court’s decision to dismantle Precinct 3 so severe that it intervened four months later.
Sarah Xiyi Chen, attorney for the voting rights program at the Texas Civil Rights Project, expressed her enthusiasm for today’s decision, stating that it provides an opportunity for Black and Latino Galveston residents to once again have a fair chance to shape their community. Chen commended the residents of Galveston for their hard-fought victory, as they shared their stories and pride from the historic Precinct 3. She expressed satisfaction that they can finally obtain the relief they deserve and hopes that the commissioners court will seize this chance to create a new map that guarantees the community’s votes, voices, and needs are heard for the next decade.
