Pettaway v. Galveston County, Texas
A federal judge found that Galveston County’s 2021 redistricting plan diluted the voting strength of Black and Latino voters, violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The UCLA Voting Rights Project (UCLA VRP), along with co-counsels Neil G. Baron and the Campaign Legal Center, representing three Galveston residents, the Honorable Terry Petteway, Honorable Penny Pope and Honorable Derrick Rose, filed the challenge to Galveston County’s 2021 redistricting plans claiming that they were racially discriminatory in intent and impact. The U.S. Department of Justice and local chapters of NAACP and LULAC filed parallel litigation, which was consolidated into the current case. This suit followed a prior lawsuit filed in 2013 by Petteway, Pope and Rose challenging Galveston County’s Justice of the Peace and Constable districts.
Read the Court Order here and the Findings of Facts here.
“Today’s decision recognizes and rectifies the discrimination and dilution of the voting strength of Black and Latino voters in Galveston County,” said Chad Dunn, Legal Director of UCLA VRP. “The court’s ruling underscores the fundamental principle that every citizen, regardless of race or background, deserves an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in countywide offices. The decision also reaffirms the enduring power and relevance of the Voting Rights Act. It serves as a reminder that attempts to undermine the voices of minority communities, as witnessed in the 2021 redistricting in the county, will not go unchallenged or unnoticed.
Bernadette Reyes, counsel in the case and voting right counsel at UCLA VRP, added, “The implications of this decision extend beyond the borders of Galveston County. The ruling sends a clear message to jurisdictions nationwide: Redistricting efforts that marginalize minority communities, whether out of malice or negligence, violate the fundamental pillars of our democracy and will not be tolerated. UCLA VRP remains committed to ensuring that the letter of this ruling is fully implemented until Galveston County’s redistricting reflects the rich diversity and strength of its communities.”
UCLA Voting Rights Project is an advocacy project housed within the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Contributors: Bernadette Reyes & Sonni Waknin
