Some candidates delay entering congressional races amid legal battle over new district boundaries
AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Over the weekend, candidates for races at the local, state, and federal level began officially filing to have their name placed on the ballot in the upcoming March primary election. But a lawsuit over the legality of newly drawn congressional districts have some candidates delaying their official entrance into races.
State Republicans successfully redrew congressional maps over the summer to give their party an advantage to pick up five additional seats in Congress during next year's midterm elections. The new map is being challenged in court and a panel of three judges in El Paso are poised to make a decision on temporary blocking its implementation.
The timing of the decision is unknown at this point. Candidates who intend to run for office in March have to officially file with state and county party chairs by Dec. 8. Brian Smith, a political professor at St. Edward's University, said a few things could happen if the court decides to place a temporary injunction on the congressional map.
One scenario is the state may be compelled to redraw the maps. Smith speculated the legislature may already have contingency maps ready in case of a ruling that goes against its favor. He added that the court could also redraw the map itself, or order the map be reverted to the current district boundaries established in 2021.
The one thing that is certain, Smith said, is an appeal is likely inevitable no matter what decision the panel of judges makes. An injunction at this point could possibly lead to an extended filing deadline for candidates or even possibly pushing back the primary, which is scheduled for March 3.
Chris McGinn, the executive director for the Texas Association of County Election Officials (TACEO) said the Texas Secretary of State is instructing election officials to adjust to the newly adopted congressional map. In the event the map is blocked, McGinn said there is a possibility the state could hold a special primary election just for congressional races at a later date in May or June, while Texans would still be allowed to vote for other positions on March 3. Other states, like North Carolina, have done this in the past.
One candidate keeping his eye on the court's decision is John Lira, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is campaigning for the Democratic primary in Texas Congressional District 35. CD 35 was one of the five districts state Republicans targeted to flip from blue to red control.
The new district lines encompass all of Guadalupe, Wilson, and Karnes counties, and takes up a large chunk of south and east Bexar county. The area heavily favored President Donald Trump in 2024 after he outpaced former Vice President Kamala Harris by 10 points. Lira, who grew up in southeast San Antonio, said he believes he can still win the seat for Democrats.
"This is not a Trump year where he's on the ballot," Lira said. "If you look back to anything like what happened in New Jersey or Virginia, if that resonates here in Texas just slightly, then we can hold this seat."
Lira, who worked in the Small Business Administration, said he wants to revive businesses in the district and focus on policies that attack affordability issues. The seat he is campaigning for is currently held by Democratic Congressman Greg Casar. After the state legislature passed the new map, Casar was drawn out of CD-35 and placed in CD-37, held by fellow Democratic Congressman Llyod Doggett. Casar is now running to replace Doggett in that district.
CD-35 used to encompass parts of Austin and San Antonio, stretching along the I-35 corridor between the two cities. If the map is reverted back to its original boundaries, then Lira would no longer live in that district, and he said he would have to consider all his options.
You can see the differences in the boundaries of the two maps below:
"I know Lloyd Doggett will have to consider if he will get back in, and I know Greg Casar will have to consider what he does," Lira explained. "So, it's a little bit of a domino effect, but the mission stays the same. We want to provide a voice. We want to provide solutions for the people here in this part of Texas."
Because of the uncertainty of the situation, Lira said he intends to wait to file for candidacy until the first week of December. There is a cost associated with filing to run for a political position in Texas. To run for a U.S. House of Representative seat, the fee is $3,125.
On the other side of the ticket, Josh Cortez is campaigning in the Republican primary of CD-35 and has been outperforming all of his competition in fundraising. If the map is reverted to its previous boundaries, he too would no longer live within CD-35. But he said he feels confident the courts will uphold the map and he intends to pursue a run in the district.
"We have made a promise to this people in this area, and that's a plan that I continue to that we continue to execute on," Cortez said. He has not officially filed to run for the position, but he says he intends to do it soon after Veterans Day.