Legislative Redistricting Puts Angelina County in a New House District

Thanks to new state legislative redistricting maps, Angelina County will be in a different house district for the coming primaries and General election.  This mans State Representative James White of Hillister will no longer serve Angelina County.

Angelina County has been redrawn into House District 57, which runs roughly east-west from San Augustine County on the east through Angelina County, Trinity County, Houston County, Leon County, to Madison County on the other side of Interstate 45.

Dist. 57 is presently represented by Representative Marva Beck, who is expected to run for re-election in her redrawn district.  Mrs. Beck's district office is in Centerville, in Leon County on I-45 --  a long way from Angelina County and even farther from San Augustine County.

Here's a link to her legislative website:

via Texas House of Representatives : Representative Beck, Marva.

Here's a link to her personal website:

via About Marva « Marva Beck for Texas State Representative, District 57.

Rep. James White ran for office last year as a member of the Tea Party, and he was recognized as one of the most conservative members of the Texas House by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Right to Life and other leading conservative groups.

White says he will run for re-election next year, but it will be in his redrawn  house district.  He will no longer represent Angelina County.

via White to seek re-election in new district - The Lufkin Daily News: Local & State.

Some people worry that a State Representative whose main district office is in Centerville won't pay much attention to constituents a hundred miles away. Rep. Beck says mileage means nothing, because distance is, as she puts it, "just a state of mind."

With nearly 50 percent of the population of the redrawn District 57 in Angelina County, Beck says if she's elected she will spend as much time in Lufkin as she can. She will also open a part-time district office in Lufkin.

Here's a link to the new map of Texas House Districts.

via Texas Redistricting.

It should be remembered that the maps must be approved by the Justice Department under the Federal Voting Rights Act.  Also, various interest groups have filed suit against the redrawn maps.  Stay tuned.