Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) got the go-ahead from Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) to suspend state law so the governor can call a special election to replace former Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) as soon as possible, the Texas Tribune reports.
Federal Judges Invalidate Two Texas Districts
“Federal judges invalidated two Texas congressional districts Tuesday, ruling that they must be fixed by either the Legislature or a federal court,” the Texas Tribune reports.
“The judges found that Hispanic voters in congressional district 27, represented by Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX), were ‘intentionally deprived of their opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.’ Congressional district 35 — a central Texas district represented by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) — was deemed ‘an impermissible racial gerrymander’ because lawmakers illegally used race as the predominant factor in drawing it, the judges wrote.”