US Midterms Set to Test GOP Redistricting

Texas Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting moved Houston’s Mount Hebron church and its largely Black community from the 9th Congressional District into the 18th, forcing longtime Democratic representative Al Green to face 18th District incumbent Christian Menefee in a primary, which Green lost. Critics say the map concentrates Black voters in fewer districts and reduces their political representation, while making the 9th District more favorable to Republicans. The changes have made redistricting and voting rights a central concern for Black voters and churchgoers in Houston, and the election is a test of the political effects of Republican-led map changes in Texas and beyond.