1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am a lifelong Texan and a resident of Killeen, and I’m writing in strong opposition to the current mid-decade redistricting effort. My city has been gerrymandered repeatedly—cut in half, lumped in with rural regions hours away, and consistently stripped of fair representation. This isn’t about fixing past injustice. It’s about entrenching power. Let’s be clear: the current maps were already under federal scrutiny for racial bias. Texas Republicans defended them in court, claiming they weren’t racially gerrymandered. Now, with no new census data and under political pressure from trump, those same officials are suddenly willing to redraw them—claiming they were flawed all along. That contradiction alone should raise red flags. For decades, Texas maps—especially in communities like mine—have diluted the voices of communities of color, military families, and moderate voters. I have seen my district transformed repeatedly, not to reflect the will of the people, but to silence it. This pattern leads to more than just unfair elections. It leads to disengagement. Texas consistently ranks near the bottom in voter turnout nationwide. When people feel their vote doesn’t matter, they stop participating—not just in elections, but in civic life altogether. That weakens our democracy at every level. Redistricting should never be done in secret, without published draft maps or clear timelines. And it should never be done mid-decade at the urging of a single political figure. Texas once prided itself on independence and integrity. We should not allow ourselves to become pawns in a partisan power grab. I urge you to stop this process unless it is led by a nonpartisan redistricting commission, informed by transparent public input, and focused on fair representation—not political convenience. Our democracy deserves better.