City leaders oppose GOP redistricting plan that splits El Paso's District 16
The City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for the legislature to keep Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Airport within U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar's, D-El Paso, congressional district during a special meeting Tuesday, August 5.
At the behest of President Donald Trump, Texas Republicans are looking to redraw Texas congressional maps in a bid to retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm election. Under the current proposal, Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Airport would be shifted to Texas Congressional District 23, which is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio.
West-Central city Rep. Josh Acevedo, who introduced the resolution alongside city Reps. Deanna Maldonado-Rocha and Ivan Niño slammed the Republican map as a "power grab."
"This is going to really negatively impact El Paso," he said, "and I think that's where we should really be concerned."
Multiple City Council members echoed Acevedo's assertion that the Republican proposal is little more than an attempt to retain undue power in the U.S. House of Representatives, including South-West city Rep. Chris Canales, saying the new map is "not about fair representation."
More: Texas residents speak out on District 16 changes at Texas Senate hearing
"It's purely about political control," he said. "We should be represented here by someone who lives here, by someone local. Republicans in the legislature are doing this mid-decade … because they see the numbers and they don't like the changing numbers they are seeing and they're afraid."
"Instead of competing for our votes, they're trying to keep power (through) illegal maneuvering."
Mayor Renard Johnson agreed.
"This redistrict, it's wrong," Johnson said. "To move these critical assets that belong to El Paso and reassign them to 500 miles away is wrong for El Paso and our community. We deserve local representation for our airport and Fort Bliss."
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso City Council urges Texas to keep Fort Bliss in District 16
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