Pending the certain litigation to come, the Texas Senate has redrawn the 31 Texas State Senate districts. The new map has been passed in the Senate and sent to the House for approval. Traditionally the House does not change the Senate map. Passed in the House it will go to the Governor for signature.

Redistricting for the Texas House, Senate, State School Board and the U.S. Congress take place every ten years based on the U.S. Census. There are a fixed number of State House and State Senate districts. Texas gained two seats in the U.S. Congress through population growth. Texas population growth is not evenly distributed across the state. Redistricting is to readjust so that there are about the same number of people in each district.

There are significant changes in representation in the Texas State Senate for Arlington and the area served by the Coalition of East Tarrant Chambers.

Senate District 22, Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, currently represents 5% of Tarrant County. Based on the new map, Senate District 22 will now include most of Mansfield, the east side of Arlington and east Euless all the way to Glade Road. The revised district takes in Viridian.  The breakout by percentage of the county population is not available, but it is certainly going to be more than 5%.

Senate District 9, Senator Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, currently represents a portion of Dallas County including 64% of Grand Prairie and 44% of Irving along with Tarrant County north of Richland Hills plus a portion of North Arlington. The revised map confines District 9 to Tarrant County. It now will run down the western edge of the county past lake Benbrook. It goes north to the county line picking up Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Watauga, Hurst and half of Bedford. District 9 has a significant portion of west Arlington and extends to the Arlington entertainment district.

Senate District 10, Senator Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, currently covers south Fort Worth, south Arlington and extends north to include a portion of Hurst, Euless and Bedford. The redrawn district retains a portion of south Fort Worth and Arlington, but now runs south and west to include Johnson, Parker, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Shackelford, Callahan and Brown Counties.

Senate District 12, Senator Jane Nelson R-Flower Mound, retains Grapevine and picks up a small portion of Hurst and Bedford.  Senator Nelson has decided not to run for re-election.

All four districts will now have solid republican majorities among likely voters. No change for Senate Districts 9 and 22. Senate District 10 has been considered a swing district and the incumbent is a Democrat. State Representative Phil King, R-Weatherford, and Arlington attorney Warren Norred have already announced they will run in the Republican primary for District 10.

House redistricting is not yet complete. While there is a map under consideration in the house, it is still being amended. More to come as the House map takes shape.