Representative Al Green, who has served Texas’s 9th Congressional District since 2005, will leave office following a controversial redistricting process that eliminates his district. The move comes after the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature approved new congressional maps that restructure several districts across the state.
Green, a long-serving Democrat, gained national attention earlier this year for interrupting former President Trump’s address to Congress in March 2025. His nearly 20-year tenure in Congress will end after the new maps take effect.
I’m GLAD @KenPaxtonTX is running for U.S. Senate. As AG, he EXPOSED fraud and FOUGHT back when others stayed silent.
I uncovered multiple election scandals in South TX—but his hands were tied. In the Senate, he can finally ensure election fraud is prosecuted. @gatewaypundit— Gregory Lyakhov (@GregoryLyakhov) August 23, 2025
Green sharply criticized the redistricting, calling it “racist” and “unconstitutional.” In a press release, he condemned the elimination of Districts 9, 18, 29, and 33—areas that include large Black and Hispanic populations—as an attempt to dilute minority representation. He accused the Justice Department under President Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of orchestrating the changes for political gain.
Republican leaders defended the redistricting, pointing out that the process is both legal and routine. While redistricting typically occurs every 10 years following the census, Texas law permits mid-decade map adjustments. GOP lawmakers argue that the new maps were based on updated population data, not race.
State Senator Joan Huffman, who chairs the redistricting committee, testified that race was not a factor in drawing the new district lines. Republican officials also highlighted past Democratic efforts to shape districts for political advantage, referencing the 1991 redistricting under Governor Ann Richards. That effort was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bush v. Vera (1996), which found that race had been the predominant factor in redrawing those maps, violating the Equal Protection Clause.
Republicans also cited population shifts, particularly the inclusion of non-citizens in census counts under the Biden administration, as a reason for redistricting. They argue that areas with large non-citizen populations were overrepresented, creating disparities in voting power. The new maps, they say, restore balance by more accurately reflecting the distribution of eligible voters.
Critics, however, remain concerned that the redistricting could reduce minority political representation in Texas, where demographic changes have increased diversity in urban and suburban areas.
The elimination of District 9, along with others with significant minority populations, is likely to fuel ongoing legal and political battles over voting rights and representation in the state.