With redistricting, Texas Democratic Party Chair fighting a battle on two fronts

Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder is leading a fight on two fronts: rebuilding his party’s reach in every corner of the state and stopping a Republican redistricting plan he warns could entrench GOP dominance for the next decade.

The battle comes in a state with one of the nation’s lowest voter participation rates and a political map already tilted heavily toward Republicans. In the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump carried Texas with 56.2% of the vote, yet the GOP holds nearly 66% of congressional seats and almost 59% of Texas House seats.

“They already have more power than the vote totals justify,” Scudder said. “This isn’t about fairness — it’s about locking in control.”

Turnout troubles and political imbalance

Texas’ voter turnout in 2024 was 56.6% of the voting-eligible population, ranking 48th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. Only Arkansas (53.5%) and West Virginia (55.5%) ranked lower, compared to a 64.1% national average.

Texas’ strict voter ID law, limited mail-in voting, reduced early voting access in some areas, and a perception that outcomes are predetermined in a Republican stronghold all contribute to low participation.

Scudder argues this makes the GOP’s new redistricting push particularly troubling. “When fewer people are voting, those in power should be working to expand participation — not redraw lines to protect their seats,” he said.

Rebuilding the grassroots

Since becoming chair on March 29, Scudder has prioritized organizing in all 254 Texas counties, about 50 of which currently lack an active Democratic chair — leaving large rural areas uncontested.

“I grew up on an East Texas farm,” Scudder said. “Democrats stood up for families like mine. We need to get back to that, talking about jobs, schools, and health care.”

His rural strategy is hands-on: showing up at community events, listening to local concerns, and focusing on practical needs over partisan labels. “We have to be in the café at 6 a.m., at the high school football game on Friday night, at the stock show on Saturday morning,” he said. “If you’re not there when people are living their lives, you can’t expect them to trust you when it’s time to vote.”

Scudder emphasizes framing the Democratic agenda around economic stability and public investment rather than the cultural debates Republicans often spotlight.

“If you’re working full-time, you should be able to pay your bills and keep a roof over your head,” he said. “Republicans are cutting school funding to give tax breaks for private academies. We’re here for the working folks.”

He adds that regaining working-class support — across racial and regional lines — depends on “showing up with solutions that make daily life better, not just slogans for election season.”

Redistricting battle and quorum break

On July 21, Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session to redraw 37 of Texas’s 38 congressional districts under House Bill 4 — a rare move outside the once-a-decade census cycle. Texas last redistricted in 2021, a process that itself drew lawsuits alleging racial gerrymandering. That map, upheld in federal court in 2023, has been in place for just four years.

The new push followed Trump’s call earlier in the summer for Republicans to “pick up five more seats” in Texas. The proposal, backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, would reduce Democratic-held districts from 13 to as few as eight, giving the GOP nearly 79% of congressional seats despite winning just over half the statewide vote in 2024.

Texas has attempted mid-decade redistricting before — most notably in 2003, when then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay orchestrated a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts mid-cycle, benefiting Republicans and prompting a quorum break by Democratic lawmakers. That fight ended with federal litigation and reshaped Texas’ political landscape for years.

Paxton has also supported stripping Democrats of committee assignments and seniority upon their return. Scudder called that rhetoric “dangerous and corrosive,” accusing Paxton of using the language of law enforcement to inflame partisan tensions. “He’s talking about punishing elected officials for using a legal, constitutional tool,” Scudder said. “It’s the politics of intimidation — treating political disagreement like a criminal offense.”

In protest, 51 of the 62 House Democrats left the state on Aug. 3 for cities including Chicago, Albany, and Boston, denying the 100-member quorum required for votes. The tactic has been used only five times since 1870 — by both parties — to block legislation.

Scudder said quorum breaks are a lawful safeguard rooted in Texas history, citing Sam Houston’s belief that sometimes the best way to resist overreach is to refuse participation. “Quorum breaks have been used by Republicans and Democrats when the majority tries to steamroll the minority,” he said. “They exist to protect Texans from bad laws passed without fair debate.”

The first special session ended Aug. 15, marking a temporary victory for Democrats, who said they had delivered on their pledge to block the maps and spotlight the issue nationally. Many plan to return for the second special session, though Scudder acknowledged they could not hold out forever. “The walkout forced people to pay attention — not just in Texas, but across the country,” he said.

He also blasted Republican leaders for trying to involve federal law enforcement. “Calling in the FBI to track down legislators is unprecedented and disturbing,” Scudder said. “It’s an abuse of federal resources to intimidate elected officials for doing their jobs — protecting Texans’ voting rights.”

Looking ahead

Scudder’s plan for a Democratic revival blends structural rebuilding, sustained outreach, and a shift toward economic messaging over partisan fights. He said Democrats must fight for every county, every neighborhood, and every election — whether or not they expect to win.

“We can’t just run against Trump,” Scudder said. “We have to prove we’ll show up, listen, and deliver for Texans. That’s how we make this state competitive again — one conversation, one community at a time.”

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas Democratic Party Chair weighs in on redistricting, outreach