Latest news with #redistricting
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tarrant County judge on redistricting: 'The mission is to get three Republican commissioners'
The Brief Tarrant County's redistricting plan is facing criticism for allegedly diluting the votes of non-White residents. County Judge Tim O'Hare openly states his goal is to guarantee three Republican commissioners on the court, increasing conservative leadership. Seven maps are currently under consideration before a vote on Tuesday, amid concerns about transparency and the use of outdated 2020 census data. TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - A plan to redistrict Tarrant County has recently come under fire after critics say it may be biased against non-White voters. County Judge Tim O'Hare isn't trying to hide his motive for redistricting: To further increase conservative leadership in Tarrant County by decreasing the number of Democrats in the commissioners court. O'Hare, the Republican county judge, presides over a panel that currently has two Republican and two Democrat commissioners. In his first one-on-one interview with FOX 4 since taking office, O'Hare welcomed us into his Southlake county courthouse office. What they're saying "On Tuesday I hope we pass a map that guarantees, or comes as close as you can to guarantee, three Republican commissioners," O'Hare said. "That was my plan and what I campaigned on openly and publicly, dating as far back as May 2021." He responded to critics who are opposed to his effort to redraw Tarrant's district lines, with allegations that his plan lacks transparency and sufficient public input, along with claims that it is racially discriminating and violates the federal voting rights act. "It's purely partisan. I'm not going to try to hide from that or act like it isn't. That's exactly what it is," O'Hare said. "We've had four different meetings in each precinct, we put maps online for anyone to look at and see and go over them. We've given people the opportunity to submit their own maps and weigh in with comments through the website, through emails, through the public forum, through commissioners court meetings… So, I don't know how anyone with a straight face can say this is not transparent." When asked if he believes the redistricting plan constitutes racial gerrymandering, O'Hare made his end goal clear. "At the end of the day, I'm doing it to put another Republican on the commissioners court, period, the end," the judge said. "I don't look at it in terms of race, I look at it in terms of policy. I look at it in terms of results," O'Hare went on. "The mission is to get three Republican commissioners on the commissioners court." O'Hare compared his redistricting effort to a reversal of what's happened over the years in several now majority-liberal counties. "I didn't see these people come out and complain about what Dallas, Harris, Bexar or Travis County was doing, but they're complaining about what we're doing because they don't want to lose seats, but we know if they were in charge because they did it in those counties, that's their blueprint, we know if they were in charge here they do the same thing," the judge said. There is also speculation that O'Hare's focus is aimed specifically at unseating District 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons. The two have often sparred during meetings on a variety of topics. That said, the judge denies wanting to unseat the commissioner. "I campaigned on this issue dating as far back as 2021," O'Hare said. " At the time I did that, I had never heard her name, didn't know who she was, had picked her out of a lineup of one, so the answer to that is just simply 'no.'" Another concern from critics is whether the 2020 census data used to create the maps is too old. But the mayors who support the plan point out that Tarrant redistricting has been delayed even longer – nearly 15 years. O'Hare says there are now seven maps up for consideration before Tuesday's vote. "I believe Tarrant County would be better served if we have strong Republican leadership," said O'Hare. "Tarrant County voters have elected Republicans to every single countywide office dating back 30 years, but we have two to two when it comes to Republicans and Democrats on commissioners court. I think it should more accurately reflect our voting population, so I want to see it go three to one." The backstory SMU mathematics professor and researcher Dr. Andrea Barreiro has dissected and analyzed the newly proposed maps for Tarrant County districts, the work of a county-hired consulting firm and the public legal interest foundation. In an interview on Thursday, she said the goal of the redistricting appears to be to diminish the voting power of non-White county residents. Cities including Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield and Grand Prairie have signed a letter expressing their opposition to the proposed map. The group called the effort ill-timed because it's the middle of the decade and, in their opinion, the census data from 2020 is outdated. In early April, the commission voted three to two, with commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roderick Miles opposing, to approve a contract with the Public Interest Legal Foundation to provide consultation with re-drawing district lines. What's next Opponents of the plan have vowed to wage a legal battle if it's adopted. O'Hare said he believed that would go in his favor. The Source Information in this article came from Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare and previous FOX 4 reporting.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Tarrant County Judge defends redistricting process: "It's 100% about partisan politics"
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court is set to vote June 3 on a controversial proposal to redraw precinct boundary lines — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from residents, local leaders, and civil rights advocates. County Judge Tim O'Hare, who initiated the redistricting process, told CBS News Texas on Friday that the effort aligns with a campaign promise he made in 2021. Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare CBS News Texas "This is something that I campaigned on dating back to 2021 — that this would be the time where we would look at redistricting," O'Hare said. O'Hare defends GOP strategy O'Hare has been open about his political motivations. "Give me a map that guarantees three Republican commissioners seats," he said. "That's what I've asked for." Currently, the Commissioners Court is evenly split with two Republicans and two Democrats. O'Hare, a Republican, believes adding another GOP commissioner would better serve the county. Critics cite racial concerns The proposed maps show significant changes to Precincts 1 and 2, both currently represented by Democrats. Critics say the new boundaries would shift areas with large Black and Hispanic populations out of Precinct 2 and into Precinct 1, potentially diluting minority voting power. In response to accusations of racial gerrymandering, O'Hare said, "This is about partisan politics. You can legally in this country, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, draw maps for partisan purposes. So for me, it's 100% about partisan politics." 10 mayors urge delay, review Ten Tarrant County mayors — including those from Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie — signed a letter urging commissioners to delay the vote. They warned that the proposed maps could violate the U.S. Voting Rights Act and face legal challenges. City councils in Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie also passed resolutions opposing the redistricting process. "We know Democrats are going to challenge," O'Hare said. "But when you say it can affect minority groups, I think Republican governance is better for all people, regardless of race. And I would also tell you, Democrats don't have a monopoly on non-whites." O'Hare said the redistricting would help ensure Republican leadership on the court for the next decade. "I believe Republicans offer better ideas for governing — better ideas for cutting taxes, eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, keeping people safe, and maintaining law and order," he said. "And I think every single countywide officeholder — judge, tax assessor, sheriff, D.A., you name it — is a Republican. This will strengthen our Republican majority on the court. And I think it's what's best for everyone in Tarrant County, not just Republicans." Support from conservative suburbs On Thursday, the mayors of Southlake, Keller, North Richland Hills, and Colleyville voiced support for redistricting. They argued that major counties like Dallas and Harris redrew maps after the 2020 census and said it was "political malfeasance" that Tarrant County did not do the same. A previous redistricting effort in 2021, led by a Republican-majority court, resulted in no changes to the precinct maps. Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who opposes the current proposal, said that process was thorough and legally sound. "Tarrant County fulfilled its duty to redistrict in 2021 following the 2020 Census," Simmons said in a statement. "A Texas-based law firm that specializes in redistricting guided the county through a detailed and deliberate process over months with extensive community involvement. Because the existing boundaries were well within the allowed deviation, complied fully with state and federal law, and fairly reflected both the political and racial makeup of our county, they were confirmed by a bipartisan vote." She added: "Any statement that Tarrant County did not fulfill its responsibility to redistrict in 2021 is blatantly false. Tim O'Hare knows this but, inexcusably, is coercing local leaders to repeat his lie." Critics have also raised concerns that the proposed changes are based on outdated data, as redistricting typically follows the decennial U.S. Census. The next census is scheduled for 2030. Legal, data questions raised The conservative law firm hired by the county, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, has not released the criteria or data used to draw the new maps. O'Hare said the firm is using a broad range of data beyond the 2020 census. "They're looking at all sorts of things," he said. "It's a very comprehensive look. The demographer, I think, is one of the top demographers in the country. The lawyers — this is what they do for a living." New maps added Friday The speed of the process has also drawn criticism. The vote is scheduled just nine weeks after the law firm was hired. "I think two months has been plenty of time," O'Hare said. "If you don't want it to change, I understand why you say that. But people have had plenty of opportunity to weigh in, look at it, become aware and participate. And we've had hundreds of people submit emails, comments, show up in person. I think the word is out." On Friday, the county added two new map options to the list of proposals under consideration.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Arlington City Council passes resolution opposing Tarrant County redistricting process
Arlington City Council passed a resolution Tuesday night opposing the Tarrant County redistricting plans, joining a growing list of elected leaders who are calling for commissioners to halt the process. "I don't want to become adversarial, but I'll stand up for the residents of my community any day of the week, and I'll continue to fight that battle," said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross. The push to redraw the precinct boundary lines is being led by Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare, who brought in a conservative law firm in early April to draft five proposed maps. Redistricting typically follows the decennial U.S. Census, which last occurred in 2020. Republican commissioners have been open in public comments that their goal is to increase GOP representation on the court. Arlington's resolution urges the court to slow down the process to allow for more community input and legal analysis. "This is not an anti-redistricting," Ross said. "It's not anti-political parties. I certainly understand that the Supreme Court has said you can redistrict along party lines if that's what you choose to do, but in doing so, you're still obligated to adhere to the laws of the State of Texas and the federal Voting Rights Act." Ross said outside legal experts also have concerns about using the 2020 census numbers to redraw the precinct boundaries. "The problem is, you say Tarrant County has grown considerably, yet you use old data that was already evaluated by the previous commissioners court, who found there wasn't enough changes to warrant any redistricting five years ago," Ross said. "If Tarrant County has grown, and I believe it has, you need to redistrict according to what that new data is showing you." Ross and nine other Tarrant County mayors, including Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, signed a joint letter to commissioners laying out the potential issues they see with the plan. The court is set to vote on the proposal on June 3, nine weeks after voting to hire the law firm to come up with the new maps. "I've never seen a redistricting process move at this speed," said Ross. "You know, typically you're taking, minimum, 6 to 12 months to get things done. It's just not feasible to be able to do it and adhere to the guidelines." Ross plans to be at next week's meeting to voice his opposition to the process. CBS News Texas reached out to County Judge Tim O'Hare multiple times for comment on the criticism surrounding the redistricting process and has yet to receive a response. In an op-ed to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Commissioner Manny Ramirez said, "Now is the time to act, while we can still ensure that Tarrant County's future is shaped by the conservative principles that have made it the greatest place in America."
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Tarrant County redistricting plan draws accusations of racial gerrymandering, legal concerns
A coalition of elected leaders is urging Tarrant County commissioners to halt a controversial redistricting process they believe is being rushed through without justification or transparency, and could violate federal law. Congressman Marc Veasey, joined by the county's two Democratic commissioners and several Fort Worth City Council members, called the effort "an illegal power grab" during a press conference held outside the Commissioners Court on Tuesday. "This isn't democracy," Veasey said. "It's a demolition job." The push to redraw the precinct boundary lines is being led by Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare, who brought in a conservative law firm in early April to draft five proposed maps. Redistricting typically follows the decennial U.S. Census, which last occurred in 2020. The next count is not scheduled until 2030. "We have no new census data. None," said Commissioner Alisa Simmons. "So you're redrawing the boundaries based on 2020 census data. It just doesn't make sense." Critics argue the proposed changes disproportionately impact communities of color by shifting Black and Hispanic populations out of Precinct 2, currently represented by a Democrat, and into Precinct 1, also held by a Democrat. Both precincts would see significant changes under the new maps. "Black and Hispanic populations have surged in Tarrant County, but instead of respecting that reality, O'Hare is trying to erase that reality," Veasey said. "This is intentional racial discrimination that's unfolding in real time." Fort Worth City Council member Elizabeth Beck echoed that sentiment, accusing O'Hare of trying to suppress minority voters. "What you see in this redistricting today is nothing more than Tim O'Hare's continued effort to silence the voices of those in Tarrant County who do not believe like him, to silence the voices specifically of Black and brown members of our community," Beck said. Republican commissioners have been open in public comments that their goal is to increase GOP representation on the court. A previous redistricting effort by a Republican-majority court following the 2020 census resulted in no changes to the precinct maps. Critics now question why a mid-decade redistricting is being pursued, especially with no new data, and accuse the court of undermining public trust. The law firm hired for the job has not answered questions about the criteria or data it used to come up with the new boundary lines. Ten Tarrant County mayors, including those representing Fort Worth, Arlington and Grand Prairie, have signed a letter urging commissioners to delay the vote. They warn that the proposed maps may violate non-discrimination standards under the U.S. Voting Rights Act and could be vulnerable to legal challenges. "Their courage and clarity reflect the growing chorus of voices speaking out for justice, fairness, and local representation," said Commissioner Roderick Miles, Jr. The Arlington City Council is expected to vote on a resolution Monday night calling for more public engagement and a more thorough analysis of the redistricting plans. The city councils in Fort Worth and Grand Prairie have already passed resolutions opposing the process. CBS News Texas reached out to Judge O'Hare's office for comment, but has not received a response. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court is scheduled to vote on the redistricting proposal Tuesday, June 3.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are Tarrant's proposed redistricting maps racial gerrymanders? We asked experts
In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. More. A proposal to redraw Tarrant County voting precincts has become the latest controversy to roil the commissioners court in recent weeks. While redistricting is generally done every 10 years following the release of census data, the commissioner court's three Republicans say new precinct maps are necessary after Tarrant County has seen rapid growth in recent years. They're scheduled to vote on it June 3. (On Friday, 10 mayors including Fort Worth and Arlington's urged the commissioners to delay the vote.) The court's two Democrats, and roughly two-thirds of people who spoke at Tuesday's commissioners meeting, oppose the plan. They called it an attempt to racially gerrymander to oust Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons, a Democrat who is Black, and get a Republican voted back into the seat in the 2026 elections. Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez, a Republican, did not attend a May 13 public feedback hearing on the plan in Azle, but he did say in a recent op-ed published by the Star-Telegram that redistricting will 'help preserve the kind of leadership that has served Tarrant County well.' The plan is politically, not racially, motivated, he said. Fellow Republican Matt Krause, commissioner of Precinct 3, concurred at Tuesday's session, saying the Supreme Court 'has said partisan gerrymandering is fine.' So which is it? Is Tarrant County's proposal a high court-sanctioned case of politically motivated redistricting? Or is this a case of racial gerrymandering? We asked several experts this week to get their analyses. The Star-Telegram also reached out to the Public Interest Legal Foundation, the Virginia-based 'election integrity' law firm that the commissioners voted to hire along party lines for the redistricting, and to Adam Kincaid of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, who drew the maps. Neither has responded. Ramirez, Krause and Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare did not respond to requests for comment. Racial gerrymandering is the act of redrawing the boundaries of a voting district in a way that dilutes the voting power of a minority language or racial group. Protections against this dilution are found in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law, and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: 'No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.' The Supreme Court's landmark 1986 decision in Thornburg v. Gingles created a three-part test to determine if a redistricting plan violates the Voting Rights Act. The test requires that a minority group: Prove that it is large and geographically compact enough to comprise a majority in a single-member district; Show that the it is politically cohesive; and Demonstrate that a majority group, such as white people, votes sufficiently as a bloc for their candidate to defeat the preferred candidate of a minority, such as Black people, under normal circumstances. In lieu of proof of intent to racially gerrymander, the Thornburg v. Gingles test has been used for decades to determine if redrawn electoral districts in effect dilute a minority group's voting power. Recent Supreme Court decisions have found that overtly political motives for redistricting do not violate the Constitution or federal law. However, it would be incorrect to say partisan gerrymandering is 'fine,' according to Kareem Crayton, a voting and redistricting specialist at the Brennan Center for Justice. 'What the Supreme Court said was, as far as federal law is concerned, the federal Constitution is concerned, there is no bar that they can see in the Constitution for preventing a district map from pursuing an overtly partisan agenda,' Crayton said. The court did not say that Congress or local governments cannot bar partisan gerrymandering or that an assertion of partisan gerrymandering protects from racial discrimination claims like those brought under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Organizations like the Public Interest Legal Foundation and the National Republican Redistricting Trust, both of which Crayton described as 'no fans of the Voting Rights Act,' try to cite partisanship as justification that protects them from any other claim. This is incorrect, he said, adding that map data should be analyzed to determine that partisanship is not used as a 'smoke screen' for racial gerrymandering. The partisanship defense only stands if those who redrew the maps, 'regardless of their intention,' can show that the new districts do not dilute minority groups' voting power, Crayton said. Each of the five proposed maps for new precincts in Tarrant County appears to track the boundaries of areas with the highest shares of minority voters, per the latest census data. This is one of the 'telltale signs of racial gerrymandering,' said Nicholas Stephanopoulos, a professor of constitutional and election law at Harvard. Census data appear to show that minority groups in Precincts 1 and 2, whose boundaries would change most significantly, are geographically compact enough to create 'at least a couple of districts,' said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University and law professor at the University of Minnesota. The map drawers appear to be 'carving the lines up in a way to prevent what looks like a racially and geographically cohesive community from being able to elect what looks like at least two members,' Schultz said. 'Under the Gingles test, and subsequent court cases after that, we can make the argument that this is a racial gerrymander.' Stephanopoulos said the maps look like a 'potentially unconstitutional racial gerrymander,' meaning it appears that 'race improperly predominated' in their design. To successfully argue a Voting Rights Act claim, Stephanopoulos said, a plaintiff would need to compare precinct-specific demographic data with the results of an ecological inference study, which estimates voting behaviors based on aggregate-level election data. Ecological inference estimates from Harvard Law School's Election Law Clinic show that voting is dramatically polarized along racial lines in Tarrant County, which Stephanopoulos said would support a Voting Rights Act violation claim. 'The most important issue would be whether it's possible to draw additional majority-minority districts' per the first prong of the Gingles test, he said. Redistricting experts at the voting rights organization Common Cause Texas found that in all of the maps, the non-white population of the new Precinct 1 would be around 80%. People of color currently make up 69.7% of the current precinct. In the Republicans' preferred map, Precinct 2 would drop from around 64% non-white residents to 49%. That map would raise the number of Democratic voters in Precinct 1 from 60% to 70%, and reduce the number of registered Democrats in Precinct 2 from 52% to 42%. 'Under each of these proposed plans, undeniably communities of color will be the ones who lose out of proper representation,' said Anthony Gutierrez, Common Cause Texas' executive director. The maps appear to show packing of minority groups, which in Tarrant County largely translates to Democratic voters, into Precinct 1 in order to make Precinct 2 — currently represented by Simmons — more advantageous for Republicans, he said. The organization entered the current precinct map and all five proposed maps into Dave's Redistricting App, a census and elections data mapping tool. The app marks Tarrant County's current map as having two precincts that lean Republican: Precincts 3 and 4, with 61.76% and 54.16% of voters, respectively. Precinct 1 is marked as leaning heavily Democratic, with 60% of voters going blue at the ballot box. Precinct 2, where demographics would change most drastically under the proposed maps, is listed as being 'in the 45-55% competitive range.' You can check out the interactive maps and data sets for each of the proposed maps at the following links. Proposal 1 (Republicans' preferred map) Proposal 2 Proposal 3 Proposal 4 Proposal 5 'The entire point of redrawing political boundaries is to ensure all residents have proper representation, not to advantage a political party,' Gutierrez said. 'If (Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare) is doing this for purely political reasons, there is no way this process is going to end with Tarrant County citizens getting districts that are fair for all.'
