Texas Senate Republicans Block Subpoenas in Redistricting Controversy

A Texas Senate committee overseeing congressional redistricting voted along party lines Wednesday to block efforts to subpoena a U.S. Justice Department official and a conservative mapmaker involved in drawing a newly proposed congressional map. All six Republicans on the panel rejected the motion, while the three Democratic members voted in favor, falling short of the votes needed to compel testimony.

The vote followed Democrats’ push to question Harmeet Dhillon, a Justice Department attorney who authored a letter alleging that several Democratic-held districts, three in Houston and one in North Texas, were racially gerrymandered. Dhillon’s letter, sent to Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton on July 7, argued that the districts improperly packed nonwhite voters, raising constitutional concerns. Senate Democrats also sought to subpoena redistricting strategist Adam Kincaid, whose group is reportedly behind the latest proposed map.

Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) criticized Republican members for declining to investigate those behind the map changes. “We couldn’t garner enough respect from our colleagues to just question the person who wrote the letter attacking our districts, attacking our communities,” he said, as reported by The Dallas Morning News. Democrats contend that Dhillon’s letter directly influenced Abbott’s decision to include redistricting on the special legislative session agenda, alongside flood relief and emergency preparedness.

Committee Chair Sen. Phil King (R-Weatherford) defended his vote, stating that Dhillon’s letter was not addressed to the Senate and that she had already been invited to testify. “I think we’re a little premature in that regard to consider a subpoena,” King said, noting that only three business days had passed since the invitation. 

The committee also declined to compel testimony from Kincaid, who played a role in crafting the 2021 maps currently under legal scrutiny. “I just see no benefit or no necessity for him to testify,” King said. Democratic Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) disagreed, arguing that the committee should hear directly from those responsible for drawing the proposed boundaries.