Doggett won't seek reelection if new Texas maps pass legal muster

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) said Thursday that if the courts approve the Republican congressional maps in Texas, he will not seek reelection in the redrawn 37th Congressional District. 

“If the courts give [President] Trump a victory in his scheme to maintain control of a compliant House, I will not seek reelection in the reconfigured CD37, even though it contains over [two-thirds] of my current constituents,” Doggett said in a statement. 

The proposed map, which gives Texas Republicans five congressional seats, draws Doggett and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) into the same Austin-area district.

A match-up would have pitted the 78-year-old Doggett, who was the first House Democrat to call on former President Biden to drop his presidential bid last year, against the 36-year-old Casar, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus. 

Doggett had previously been pushing Casar to run in the redrawn 35th Congressional District.

Democratic activist David Hogg, whose group Leaders We Deserve is dedicated to electing young Democrats, criticized the move and called on Doggett to "pass the torch" last week. 

However, on Thursday, Hogg thanked Doggett following his statement he would not seek reelection if the courts approved the map. 

“Thank you, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, for letting the next generation lead and for your decades of progressive service. I hope more members of Congress follow his example and pass the torch," Hogg said in a statement to The Hill

The move was perceived by some Texas Democrats as Doggett waving the white flag in the redistricting battle before the new map was officially passed by the state Legislature.

“I had hoped that my commitment to reelection under any circumstances would encourage Congressman Casar to not surrender his winnable district to Trump,” Doggett said in his statement Thursday.

“While his apparent decision is most unfortunate, I prefer to devote the coming months to fighting Trump tyranny and serving Austin rather than waging a struggle with fellow Democrats. If Trump extreme gerrymandering prevails, I wish Congressman Casar the best,” he continued. 

Casar currently represents the state’s 35th Congressional District, which includes parts of the San Antonio metro area, as well as parts of Austin. Doggett represents the 37th District, which includes the majority of the city of Austin and some of its suburbs.

Under the proposed new maps, the 37th Congressional District would become more Democratic, while the new 35th District would become more conservative and include less than 10 percent of Casar’s current constituents. The new 37th District would include roughly two-thirds of Doggett’s constituents, while the rest would come from Casar’s Austin-area constituency, including the City Council seat he held from 2015-22.

Updated at 8:58 p.m. EDT