Looks Like Panhandle Will Lose A Nut And Gain A District

It looks like the Texas Panhandle will come out of the redistricting process for House districts better than expected. For the last 10 years the Panhandle has had three representatives in the Texas House -- the representatives from districts 86,87, and 88 (see bottom map above). Those districts are currently represented by John Smithee (86), Walter Price (87), and Warren Chisholm (88) -- all Republicans. Although the Panhandle (and West Texas) showed a small gain in population, it was feared that the area would lose a House district to the much larger growth in other areas (particularly the I-35 corridor).

There was a district eliminated from West Texas -- District 85, which was represented by Plainview's Jim Landtroop. But Landtroop's home county was put into a reconfigured District 88. This would normally mean Landtroop would have to face off against Chisholm, but Chisholm has already indicated he would either retire or run for the Railroad Commission. I doubt he could defeat Landtroop in the reconfigured district anyway.

That means the Panhandle will still have all or most of the same three districts (86,87,88), but it will also gain some representation from a fourth district (see top map above). District 68, represented by Vernon's Rick Hardcastle, has been pushed a little farther West and now includes four Panhandle counties. While West Texas as a whole has lost a House seat, the Panhandle actually came out a little better. They now have four representatives looking out for their interests instead of three. And as a bonus, they will now be rid of religious nut-job Warren Chisholm.

Of course the four representatives are still all Republicans, but hopefully future demographic changes will remedy that (since the growth of the Hispanic population is much larger than the growth of the White population in almost all of these counties).

On the whole, the Panhandle really can't complain too much about the new Texas House districts. It could have been worse.