Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lashed out at Rep. Jasmine Crockett after the progressive Democrat accused the Texas Legislature of trying to dilute the voting power of Black, Hispanic and Asian voters in the state.
“It would not be a day that ends in the letter Y if Jasmine Crockett didn't say something racist.” Abbott said Sunday on "Fox News Sunday."
Crockett on Saturday warned that if Republicans win the redistricting battle in the Lone Star State, Black voters would be left with only one-fifth of the voting power “they should have” while Latinos would have only one-third. She added: “Asians, which tend to be one of the fastest growing demographics in the state of Texas, have literally no power."
But in an interview with host Shannon Bream, Abbott dismissed Crockett's concerns.
"The problem that Democrats have in the state of Texas is Hispanics, Black voters and other voters, they have learned now that the ideas that Democrats stand for are contrary to the ideas that the Hispanic community and Black community stand for."
Crockett’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This weekend is not the first time the two Texans have lobbied insults at each other.
Earlier this year, Crockett called Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, "Governor Hot Wheels" and a "hot ass mess.” Though she denied she was mocking Abbott’s disability, her words drew swift condemnation. Abbott responded by saying Democrats "have no vision, no policy" and have nothing but hate to offer.
The latest remarks come as Republicans in the state rush to follow President Donald Trump’s directive for a new congressional map, one that could secure as many as five new congressional seats for the GOP. The directive has drawn backlash from Democrats nationwide, with many arguing the map is designed to silence voters of color.
In the first draft of the new map publicly released last month, voters of color in Tarrant County were split among multiple neighboring Republican districts, according to The Texas Tribune. The area is now represented by Democrat Rep. Marc Veasey, who is Black. The shape of the 35th District in Central Texas was also changed, despite being created after a court ordered the state to protect the voting rights of people of color. That district is represented by Democrat Rep. Greg Casar, who is of Mexican descent.
Abbott on Sunday said that in the maps the Republican-led legislature is drawing, four of the new seats will be predominantly Hispanic seats. The demographic, he added, "are now voting for Republicans."
"It's a proven fact that minority voters chose to vote for Trump as well as other Republicans, but they are trapped in one of these gerrymander districts that confines it only to electing a Democrat," Abbott said. "The Democrats would say that they shouldn't have — be entitled to elect a certain member of a particular race, but instead let the voters of that district decide regardless of their race. They're going to find that Democrats are going to lose voters and Republican will be picking up voters."
In 2024, 48 percent of Hispanic voters cast their ballots for Trump, compared to 36 percent in 2020, according to Pew Research. But Hispanic voters were also more likely to split their tickets and back down-ballot Democrats, and it's also not clear whether those Trump voters will continue to vote Republican in 2026.
It’s unclear when or even if the map will be approved. Democrats have left the state, with some heading to allies in Illinois and California, to stop a vote on the new map.
“If they show back up in the state of Texas they will be arrested and taken to the capital,” Abbott said Sunday. “If they want to evade the arrest they will stay outside of the state of Texas for literally years. They might as well start voting in California or voting in Illinois wherever they may be.”
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