Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a longtime House Democrat and senior member of the Ways and Means Committee with a progressive track record, will no longer run for reelection to his current seat if Texas Republicans’ redrawn legislative maps aren’t shot down in court.
Under the mid-decade redistricting plans, which are still working their way through the Texas Legislature, Doggett would be drawn into a district that combines Democrats’ two existing Austin districts into a single seat. The move would have teed up a primary between Doggett, whose current district covers around two-thirds of the city, and Rep. Greg Casar, a younger progressive who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus and whose current district encompasses Austin’s east side and portions of San Antonio.
Doggett’s Thursday announcement comes as Texas Republicans’ redistricting plan barrels toward approval by the state legislature. The Texas House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve the redistricting map, and a Texas Senate committee advanced the redistricting bill to the full Senate on Thursday with a favorable recommendation. Republicans overwhelmingly control the Texas legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott has also backed the redistricting effort, though court challenges could still prevent the map from taking effect.
Since the redistricting map was unveiled, Doggett has repeatedly encouraged Casar to run in the redrawn 35th District, though Casar has pushed back and said he intends to continue representing Austin. As a result, it looked like Texas Democrats were heading toward a potentially fraught primary that could have served as a referendum on questions of age and experience that have roiled the party in recent years.
“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 a statement. “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.”
Doggett has touted the fact that the majority of the redrawn 37th District is comprised of his current constituents as a reason that Casar should pursue an alternative seat. However, the district Doggett has urged Casar to run in includes less than 10 percent of Casar’s current constituents, which has prompted pushback from the younger progressive.
While Doggett’s announcement did not rule out a bid for another congressional district, he made clear in his statement that he wanted to represent Austin, “the only town I have ever called home.”
“Lloyd Doggett is an Austin institution,” Casar said in a social media post after Doggett’s announcement. “I’ve learned so much from him. I’m grateful to him. The fight for democracy continues.”
Doggett is the second member of the Texas delegation to signal alternative plans for the 2026 midterms: Republican Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, announced earlier Thursday that he is entering the GOP primary to replace Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Doggett was first elected in 1994 and is serving his 16th term in Congress; he’s the longest-serving member of the Texas delegation. He’s also the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, where he’s helped steer his party’s response to health care issues.
Doggett began his career as a Texas state senator before mounting an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate. He then served on the Texas Supreme Court for six years before hopping into the race to replace retiring Democrat J.J. Pickle; Doggett handily won in the general election.
The post Democrat Lloyd Doggett won’t seek reelection if courts don’t overturn Texas redistricting appeared first on Roll Call.
