Dickens and Kent counties will experience a representation shift from the redistricting maps recently approved by Gov. Greg Abbott. These changes will take effect when new officeholders—whether reelected incumbents with shifting constitutencies, or challengers—are sworn in on January 1, 2023.
U.S. House District 13
Dickens County will continue to be located in U.S. House District 13, represented by Ronny Jackson (R-Amarillo). Although district boundaries changed as part of Texas picking up two additional house seats, only Austin and Houston areas were affected. House District 13 also now includes more of the Permian Basin north and west of Midland, all the way to the New Mexico line.
Kent County will continue to be located in U.S. House District 19, which is currently served by Jodey Arrington (R-Lubbock). House District 19 now includes more of the Texas Panhandle and does not extend as far east as it had.
Texas Senate
Dickens and Kent counties’ Texas Senate representation remains the same, continuing in Texas Senate District 28, which is represented by Charles Perry (R-Lubbock).
District 28 lost 17 counties and picked up seven. The biggest population shift is that Senate District 28 will now represent 100 percent of Taylor County and the newly added western portion of Wichita County.
Texas House of Representatives
In the Texas House of Representatives, Dickens and Kent counties will no longer be in House District 68, currently represented by David Spiller, R-Jacksboro.
I n - stead, the two counties will move to be part of Texas House District 83, which is currently held by Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock). The district, which used to be shaped like a horseshoe south of Lubbock, now extends east and northeast. In the 2022 election Dickens and Kent County voters will cast their ballots for candidates in House District 83. Spiller will continue to represent the two counties until January 1, 2023.
The 17 counties that were lost are Borden, Coke, Crane, Dawson, Eastland, Irion, Kimble, Mitchell, Reagan, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Sterling, Sutton, Upton and Ward.
The seven counties that were gained are Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Mills, San Saba, Wheeler and Wichita.
State Board of Education
All of the Caprock Country counties stay in District 15 in the State Board of Education, although the seat itself shifted to the west and south. District 15’s delegate to the board is Jay Johnson (R-Pampa).
Redistricting occurs every 10 years after Census data is released, and can affect how boundaries are drawn for representation all the way to the local precinct level. Counties are just now beginning to address the shifts in commissioners’ precincts. On the county level, according to the Texas Association of Counties, commissioners courts ultimately decide on precinct maps. Each precinct, ward or district should be as equal as geographically possible in population. Although it cannot be the controlling factor, race is a significant factor.
A handy tool for identifiying the representation of any address in Texas can be accessed at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2021/texas-redistricting-map/.
Dickens County has announced that in its commissioners meeting of November 8, that a public hearing will be held about redistricting.
Nearby entites—such as Floyd County and Scurry County--have already announced new precincts being drawn in adherence to federal election law based upon population shifts.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.
