Editor’s Note: This story was updated on August 21, 2025 after Rep. Loyd Doggett announced he will not run for reelection if the courts uphold the congressional maps. The Texan will continue monitoring the situation.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who represents UT and West Campus in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced Thursday he would not run for reelection if the courts uphold a new congressional map intended to give the Republican Party more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The end of Doggett’s over 50-year career representing various portions of Austin came as Texas House Republicans passed a new congressional map intended to give the party more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after a marathon session on Wednesday. Under current district boundaries, Austin is represented by Doggett, Reps. Michael McCaul, a Republican who represents some outskirts of Austin and large swaths of Travis County, and Greg Casar, a Democrat who represents most of Austin east of Interstate 35 and portions of San Antonio.
In their proposed map, legislators took Casar’s district completely out of Austin, setting up a situation where Doggett and Casar would have to run for Doggett’s current seat, as both of their political careers came up in Austin. Randy Erben, an adjunct law professor, said “pairing” two members in the same district is a common way for state legislators to knock off incumbents from other parties.
“You pair two incumbents in the same district, and you know, sometimes one of them says, ‘I don’t want to run against you,’ and sometimes they say, ‘Let’s get it on, and I’ll see you at the ballot box,’” said Erben. “(If) they both run, it’s usually very, very expensive and very, very contentious.”
Doggett previously said on Wednesday he intended to run for reelection and asked Casar to run in a redrawn San Antonio-based district that is significantly less favorable to Democrats.
“What justification can there be for Congressman Casar surrendering his district, CD 35, to Trump?” Doggett said. “It is a district that, with hard work and particular appeal to a majority Hispanic population, we can prevent Trump from taking.”
However, Casar’s office said in an email obtained by Punchbowl News that he would run “for reelection in Austin.” Casar previously served on the Austin City Council. Both Casar and Doggett plan to speak at UT next week.
Since new boundaries passed the Texas House, they are virtually guaranteed passage in the Texas Senate, which advanced similar boundaries on Aug. 12, and signage by Gov. Greg Abbott who introduced this effort after President Donald Trump asked Texas Republicans to pursue more U.S. House seats.
Critics of the proposed maps, including elected Democratic officials and UT students who testified at public hearings last month, said the changes would give an unfair advantage to Republican candidates. While Texas Democrats have threatened to sue the maps in federal court, they likely would not be able to succeed without proving the maps unfairly dilute the voting power of racial minorities. The U.S. Supreme Court allows legislators to change the maps for “purely political purposes,” Erben said.
Before announcing he would not run for reelection, Doggett said the maps are likely here to stay.
“There’s no doubt that within a matter of a very few days, this will be the law in Texas,” Doggett said. “Those will be immediately challenged, as they should be, in federal court. I will tell you that the experience of the last two redistricting efforts in Texas is not particularly encouraging.”
