U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas says he'll bow out if redistricting stands

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 in the wake of 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 that the Texas House approved on Wednesday and which the Senate is expected to pass soon. Gov. Greg Abbott 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.Flashback: In a campaign email nearly two weeks ago, Doggett 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."What they're saying: Unless the new map is overturned by courts, "I will not seek reelection," Doggett said in a statement Thursday."I had hoped that my commitment to reelection under any circumstances would encourage Congressman Casar to not surrender his winnable district to Trump.""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."The big picture: The new map could give Republicans an additional five seats in Congress. Democrats say the map disenfranchises Black and Latino voters. 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.

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