Texas GOP lawmaker calls out CNN redistricting coverage
Texas Republican state Representative Brian Harrison criticized CNN for its coverage of the ongoing redistricting battle in Texas, accusing the network of selectively focusing on Texas while ignoring states with more severe gerrymandering issues, such as Illinois, California, adn New York. Harrison defended the Texas redistricting plan as legal and constitutional during a CNN interview, highlighting that these other states have larger disparities between voter distribution and allocated House seats. The redistricting effort in texas is supported by former President Donald Trump,who aims to gain five additional Republican congressional seats. The controversy intensified as 50 Democratic Texas lawmakers fled the state to block the redistricting vote by denying a quorum, prompting the Texas House to pass a motion to arrest the absent lawmakers. CNN responded by showing coverage of gerrymandering in Democratic-led states, but Harrison maintained his point that governors in those states had not been directly challenged about their redistricting practices. The Texas legislature planned to reconvene to continue addressing the issue.
Texas GOP lawmaker calls out CNN redistricting coverage
Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican, mocked CNN for its coverage of the redistricting fight in his state while ignoring states that are “more gerrymandered than anything we‘re contemplating down here.”
President Donald Trump has backed maps to change districts in Texas to win five more seats for the Republican Party. While the Texas House was slated to vote on redistricting on Monday, the chamber failed to reach a quorum as 50 Democratic lawmakers left for Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois.
The Texas House was still able to pass a motion calling for the arrests of these lawmakers.
Harrison appeared Monday on CNN’s The Source to defend the proposed redistricting as “legal,” “constitutional,” and “permissible.”
“I mean, I do have to point out that I don‘t know of any [news outlet], just about any, major media, CNN included, that dragged Gov. Pritzker on TV and asked him to justify the gerrymandering in his state,” Harrison said.
Harrison was referring to Illinois being the most gerrymandered state because 82% of its 17 House seats are occupied by Democrats. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, won 55% of the vote there last year, leaving a 27-point gap between their overall state partisan advantage and advantage in House seats.
“Or California, where I‘m looking at right now, Republicans have 40% of the vote in California, but they only give 17% of their seats to the Republicans. Same thing in New York,” Harrison added. “I mean, these are more gerrymandered than anything we‘re contemplating down here in the state of Texas.”
The Source host Katilan Collins defended her network with a montage of CNN clips discussing gerrymandering in Illinois. However, as Harrison pointed out, Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) was not involved in any of the segments.
“I just want to be clear, we have covered it when Democrats gerrymander as well, sir,” Collins said.
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“If those are the best clips you can find, then my points stand and I was proven correct because at no point was [Pritzker] asked to justify those maps,” Harrison said.
Texas representatives are scheduled to meet again at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
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