House Editor David Wasserman writes: For Republicans, it's the biggest redistricting backfire of the cycle. A three judge federal panel in San Antonio handed Democrats a Thanksgiving feast last week, when they released an interim Congressional map, giving them an advantage in three of four newly drawn districts and at least 12 of the state's 36 seats. Republican Texas AG Greg Abbott has filed an appeal for a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court to block the interim map, and to give the legislature more time to win preclearance of a GOP-favorable map in the DC District Court. But even Republicans admit it is unlikely they will get their way, since the candidate filing period has already opened.
The biggest winners in the interim map were Austin Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-25), who was spared an arduous primary, and Democratic state Reps. Joaquin Castro and Marc Veasey, who each got favorable districts to run in. The biggest losers were GOP former Secretary of State Roger Williams and GOP former Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, each of whom had hoped to run
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