Texas Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett mentioned he won’t run for reelection in his dwelling district if the Texas redistricting proposal is authorised, avoiding a possible member-on-member major with Rep. Greg Casar, who was drawn into Doggett’s district within the new maps.
Doggett didn’t say whether or not he would retire from Congress if the maps are authorised or if he plans to run in one other Texas district.
The 78-year-old lawmaker has confronted strain from some Democrats to permit Casar to run within the new Austin-area district. A major within the thirty seventh District between Doggett and Casar might have reopened previous fissures within the get together over aged incumbents — a debate amplified final 12 months by Doggett, who was the primary Democrat in Congress to name on then-President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
“If the courts give Trump a victory in his scheme to maintain control of a compliant House, I will not seek reelection in the reconfigured CD37, even though it contains over 2/3rd of my current constituents,” Doggett mentioned within the assertion.
Doggett mentioned he’ll run for reelection in his present district if Texas Republicans’ “racially gerrymandered Trump map” is rejected. Doggett’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to requests for clarification about his intentions if the maps are authorised.
A spokesperson for Casar declined to remark.
Doggett rapidly introduced his intention to run in his dwelling district final month after Texas launched its redrawn maps. Final week, he leaned on Casar to run within the new thirty fifth District, a bloc east of San Antonio the place Trump gained 54 p.c of the vote final 12 months.
Days later, Casar’s chief of employees mentioned he would solely run for Congress in his native Austin, and chastised Doggett for making an attempt to power him to run elsewhere.
“I had hoped that my commitment to reelection under any circumstances would encourage Congressman Casar to not surrender his winnable district to Trump,” Doggett mentioned within the assertion. “While his apparent decision is most unfortunate, I prefer to devote the coming months to fighting Trump tyranny and serving Austin rather than waging a struggle with fellow Democrats.”
Strain towards Doggett ramped up in current days after David Hogg’s tremendous PAC mentioned it deliberate to financially assist Casar if the 2 members squared off in a major. Doggett, who holds over $6 million in his marketing campaign account, had mentioned he deliberate to spend considerably to defend his seat. Hogg’s group mentioned they’d meant to assist Casar make up a number of the distinction.
“Thank you, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, for letting the next generation lead and for your decades of progressive service. I hope more members of Congress follow his example and pass the torch,” Hogg mentioned in a press release to POLITICO.
Supply hyperlink
