Turner: 'Congressional districts were drawn not for personalities, but to serve communities'

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is warning against using the congressional redistricting process to help Republican office holders.

"Our city’s historical congressional districts were drawn not for personalities, but to serve their communities interests," the mayor tweeted. "Proud to stand with Congresswoman @JacksonLeeTX18 and @RepAlGreen to let our voices be heard that we will not let forces divide us on our watch."

State legislators late last month released the first drafts of maps for new congressional districts in Austin and Houston, ABC 13 reported.

The maps were drawn to boost Republican seats that were targeted by Democrats in the last two election cycles, the story said. 

"This map is clearly gerrymandered by politicians to protect incumbents and totally discriminate against Hispanic voters," Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, told the station. "LULAC has filed suit against the State of Texas every 10 years since 1970 and we've prevailed every 10 years. Unless there's new maps drawn, we expect we will wind up in federal court again."

Houston would get a new congressional district, Texas 38, in west and northern Harris County, which will likely be a safe Republican district, the station reported.

Two black Houston incumbents, U.S. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green — would be pitted against each other in the first draft of the districts, the Texas Tribune reported.      

“It doesn’t look right for the only two persons in the state of Texas to be running against each other in a congressional district from the same party to be of African ancestry,” Green told a state senate hearing, the Tribune reported.

The maps will likely change before it goes to the legislature for final approval, ABC 13 reported.