U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas says he'll bow out if redistricting stands
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U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett (left) and Greg Casar at a news conference in Austin in July. Photo: Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
Longtime Austin Democratic congressman Lloyd Doggett said Thursday that he won't seek reelection if a new congressional map is not overturned by courts.
Why it matters: Doggett's move prevents a potentially nasty Democratic primary following a Republican redistricting effort, allowing U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin), a rising progressive, to remain in office.
State of play: Casar and Doggett would have battled for a single Austin-based district under the new congressional map the Texas House approved on Wednesday, and which the state Senate is expected to pass soon. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has said he'll sign the legislation.
- Doggett, who has been repeatedly targeted by Republicans in redistricting during his over 30 years in Congress, currently represents much of Austin and its suburbs.
- Casar, a former Austin City Council member first elected to Congress in 2022, represents parts of southern and eastern Austin in a district that snakes down to San Antonio.
What they're saying: Unless the new map is overturned by courts, Doggett said in a statement Thursday, "I will not seek reelection."
- "I had hoped that my commitment to reelection under any circumstances would encourage Congressman Casar not to surrender his winnable district to Trump," Doggett added. "While his apparent decision is most unfortunate, I prefer to devote the coming months to fighting Trump tyranny and serving Austin rather than waging a struggle with fellow Democrats."
- On X, Casar wrote: "Lloyd Doggett is an Austin institution. I've learned so much from him. I'm grateful to him. The fight for democracy continues."
Flashback: In a campaign email nearly two weeks ago, Doggett made clear he planned to run for the seat, and wrote that "seniority is an asset, not a liability."
- He urged Casar to "not abandon" his reconfigured district, arguing that Casar could "use his organizing skills and populist message to win over the disaffected, particularly disaffected Hispanic voters."
- Casar's team fired back in an email that "Republicans arbitrarily assigned this seat the same number as Greg's current one," and that "there's no reason it would make sense for Greg to run in that district."
Between the lines: Doggett, 78, had been under intense internal pressure from fellow Progressive Caucus members not to challenge Casar, the 36-year-old Progressive Caucus chair.
- Lawmakers predicted a historically nasty and costly fight, with Doggett privately telling others he planned to spend his entire $6.2 million campaign war-chest if necessary.
- Some colleagues noted that Doggett was the first House Democrat to call on then-President Biden to drop his reelection bid last year over concerns about his age and fitness to run, saying he should take his own advice.
- Doggett allies fired back by arguing his mental acuity isn't an issue and that he has been an effective and well-respected member of Congress.
The big picture: The new map could give Republicans an additional five seats in Congress. Democrats say the map disenfranchises Black and Latino voters.
- Like Casar and Doggett, House Democrats from Houston and Dallas will also likely have to run against one another to have a chance at staying in Congress under the new maps.
The bottom line: Looking ahead to court fights, and citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent, Texas Republicans have said the new map is about increasing political power — not racial discrimination.