Texas Governor Greg Abbott Responds to Claims About Minority Voter Representation

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, recently appeared on Fox News and responded to Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett’s assertion that some voters in the state are being silenced. Crockett’s concerns center around proposed changes in districting that could benefit Republicans.

During an interview with Shannon Bream, host of “Fox News Sunday,” Abbott challenged Crockett’s claim that minority voices would be diminished by the new maps. He pointed out that Donald Trump had significant support from Hispanic voters in Texas, suggesting that minority groups don’t vote uniformly. “If Jasmine Crockett didn’t say something ridiculous, you’d think it was an unusual day,” Abbott remarked. He added that under the new maps, four of the new districts will predominantly represent Hispanic communities. Abbott argued that the issue for Democrats in Texas is that Hispanic and Black voters have increasingly recognized that their views often diverge from those of the Democratic Party, particularly on topics like border security and support for law enforcement.

“What we’re observing is that many Hispanics are voting Republican,” he continued, referencing Trump’s performance in previous elections. Abbott noted that voters in highly gerrymandered districts might feel their choices are limited by political manipulation. He maintained that voters should be able to choose representatives based on merit rather than race.

Crockett, on her part, argued during a Saturday appearance on MSNBC that the new mapping would disenfranchise Black, Hispanic, and Asian voters in Texas. She claimed that African Americans currently possess only a fraction of their rightful voting power in the state, while Latino voters have even less.

Statistical data from CNN points out that Trump garnered 46% of Hispanic votes, 40% of Asian votes, and 13% of Black votes in the recent 2024 elections, with similar, though slightly lower, statistics from 2020. Looking back to 2016, Trump received only 28% of Hispanic votes, 27% of Asian votes, and 8% of Black votes.

Abbott suggested a trend where Democrats are losing support and Republicans are poised to gain from this shift in voter dynamics.