GOP Rookies Could Be Paired
on House Map Still in Progress

Capitol Inside
September 28, 2021

The Texas House has been in a holding pattern for more than a week with GOP leaders scampering back to the drawing boards for significant alterations on a new map for the lower chamber in the wake of unexpected openings in Republican districts in pivotal areas.

As the Senate staged a hearing on Tuesday on a plan for its own voting districts for 2022 and beyond, House leaders are hoping to have a proposal ready for public scrutiny before this weekend in a special session that's in the midst of its ninth day.

But the Republicans have received a couple of breaks in the mapmaking challenge with unforeseen decisions by GOP State Reps. Phil King of Weatherford and Chris Paddie of Marshall. King declared himself a candidate on Monday for dramatically redesigned Senate District 10 where the Republican nominee would be favored over Democratic State Senator Beverly Powell of Burleson in her bid to keep a seat she won in 2018.

King hit the ground going full speed with an endorsement from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick as a launching pad for a SD 10 race that would be contingent on the proposed district remaining intact in Senate Bill 4 and surviving inevitable court challenges.

King's departure would appear to give GOP Speaker Dade Phelan's team an opportunity to try to avoid the pairings of any incumbent Republicans on a new House map. Republican State Rep. Chris Paddie of Marshall helped avert potential primary pairings in East Texas last week when he shut down a re-election campaign that he'd kicked off in August on the grounds that he'd decided he wanted to spend more time with family after a decade in the House.

GOP State Rep. James White's exit from the House with a statewide race for agriculture commissioner gave the Republicans an open district on the eastern edge of Texas to relocate in the suburbs where most of the growth has occurred in the past 10 years. East Texas and West Texas both stand to lose at least three House districts combined in rural areas.

But all the House Republicans in rural districts in the western half of the state are planning to seek new terms in 2022 - and at least one West Texas pairing in the GOP primary election in March appeared to be inevitable until King's announcement that he's running for the Senate instead.

GOP leaders in the west wing had contemplated a possible pairing of rookie Republican State Glenn Rogers of Graford with King in House District 61, which is anchored in the suburbs on the western outskirts of the Fort Worth area. Rogers is a resident of Palo Pinto County on the western border of King's home base in Parker County.

While Rogers wouldn't have an incumbent as an obstacle with King out of the way, he could find it tough to beat a primary challenger from Parker County where three-fourths of the population would be based if Palo Pinto was roped into HD 61 along with another rural county if not two to get it close to the new standard of 194,303.

The Phelan team may find it difficult to prevent any incumbent pairings in West Texas despite King's plans to leave the House. GOP State Rep. David Spiller of Jacksboro could find himself in the same district with Republican State Rep. James Frank of Wichita Falls.

A more likely primary showdown on a new map might pit the two freshmen - Spiller and Rogers - in HD 68 or HD 60. Rogers won an open seat in 2020. Spiller claimed a victory in a special election earlier this year.

more to come ...