Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) claimed Monday that Republican-led redistricting efforts are aimed at reducing the number of Black members of Congress, asserting that these moves violate constitutional protections and the Voting Rights Act.
Speaking during an appearance on CNN’s The Lead, Crockett alleged that Republican lawmakers in multiple states are working to “systemically get rid” of Black elected officials as part of their strategy to secure political victories.
“When it comes to our base, they want to see a fight,” Crockett said.
“They don’t want to see us just lay down and say, OK, well, the Republicans want to do whatever they want to do. They want to minimize voices. They want to systemically get rid of those black electeds.”
Crockett pointed to several states she says are already engaged in these tactics.
“When I look at the numbers, and to be clear, Florida is already in this thing. We know that Texas is in this thing. We know that they’re putting pressure on Indiana as well as Missouri,” she said.
According to Crockett, these efforts are part of a broader Republican plan to win elections by altering congressional maps in ways that reduce minority representation.
“So here’s the deal — they have already decided that the only way that they can win, because they have failed policies, is by making sure that they can cheat their way. And while they’re cheating their way, the only way that they can do that is while they also at the same time violate the Constitution as well as The Voting Rights Act and make sure that it’s people of color,” she said.
Crockett named several specific members of Congress she believes are being targeted.
“We’re talking about them going after Clyburn in South Carolina. We’re talking about them going after Andre Carson in Indiana. We’re talking about them going after Reverend Cleaver in Missouri. We’re talking about them going after Emilia Sykes in Ohio. We’re talking about them coming for three of the four black representatives that we currently have in the state of Texas,” she said.
The Texas Democrat argued that the concentration of these challenges on Black lawmakers demonstrates a racial component to the redistricting changes.
“So don’t tell me this isn’t about race when they are clear about who it is that will lose the most when it comes to having their say so on the federal level,” Crockett said.
“They are absolutely, systemically making sure that they roll back all that was fought for, bled for, and died for as it relates to those that came before us.”
Her comments come amid ongoing legal battles over congressional maps in several states.
