Fort Bend County advances five new redistricting maps amid political debate

Fort Bend County took a significant step Thursday toward redrawing its political voting districts. Jacob Lee, chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee, presented five proposed maps to the Commissioners Court that could reshape the county’s political landscape.

Lee explained the committee’s role in creating maps that reflect what they believe would be best for the county. “As citizens, we were given the opportunity to come up with maps that are based on what we think would be good for the county. And we’re gonna have five maps that reflect, I think, different ideas,” he said.

Redistricting typically occurs once every 10 years, but the current plans passed in 2021—which favored Democrats—are now being challenged. Democratic Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy defended the existing maps, saying, “The county has been blue for a while. We have seen consistently in every presidential election, Fort Bend County has voted for a Democrat. It is not a 50-50 county.”

On the other hand, Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers criticized the current maps for not meeting state or federal guidelines. “One, the county judge stipulated that the map was drawn on the basis of race, which under the Constitution and the statutes you can’t do,” Meyers said. “I started the process of fixing a map that did not comply with federal and state law that’s simple.”

Jacob Lee added that the current maps also exceed population requirements. “There was one particular voter precinct up there that had 20,000 voters, and state law says you can’t have more than 5,000. So between 2021 and 2025, it’s gone by 15,000 votes,” he explained.

Calls for redistricting intensified after Fort Bend County Judge KP George was indicted on charges including misrepresenting his identity in connection to a fake social media campaign. George later switched from Democrat to Republican, a move McCoy described as political. “The power of the court has shifted. And so they’re taking action because of that. This has nothing to do with righting a wrong,” McCoy said.

McCoy also highlighted the transparency of the original map selection process. “There was a whole open process, residents submitted maps, there was discussion about that, members of court took that feedback and amended maps,” he said.

The Commissioners Court is scheduled to vote on the proposed maps Monday.

For a detailed breakdown of how the maps could change Fort Bend County, visit the Fort Bend County official website where the October 9 minutes are available.