Rep. Lloyd Doggett has all but declared war against Rep. Greg Casar after the new proposed Texas congressional map looped the two Democrats into one district.
Doggett’s message: I’m running in Texas’ 37th District and Casar better not.
Doggett has said he plans to run in the 37th, a safe blue seat anchored in Austin that has a large portion of his current voters. But Doggett has irked fellow Democrats by calling for Casar to run in the new 35th District, a San Antonio-area seat that President Donald Trump won by 10 points in 2024.
In a not-so-subtle email to supporters, Doggett wrote: “I remain hopeful that Congressman Casar will not abandon his reconfigured CD35, in which he is the only incumbent.”
Doggett notes that the new 35th District is more Hispanic than the current 35th District, which Casar represents. “Your support is a way of indicating that you agree that two seats are better than fighting over one,” he wrote.
But the new 35th District has very little of Casar’s current turf. Casar, a former Austin City Council member, is the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is not a particularly natural fit for a red district near San Antonio.
And many Democrats are privately surprised that the 78-year-old Doggett is attempting to box out a 36-year-old Casar, according to sources tracking the race. Doggett was the first House Democrat to urge then-President Joe Biden not to run for reelection last year.
Don’t forget, this is all happening while dozens of Texas Democratic legislators have fled the state to deny quorum to Republicans looking to pass this map.
Casar has said he plans to run in Austin. After Doggett’s email, Casar posted on X: “I love you Austin Texas.”
When we posted about Doggett’s email, the incumbent doubled down in a post on X, writing that a decision by Casar to run in Austin “helps Trump, divides progressives.”
Then he said as much again in a local TV interview.
Also … Ad news: Liberal group Unrig Our Economy is launching a $300,000 ad buy attacking Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.). The spot features a Scranton, Pa., resident criticizing Bresnahan “for putting billionaires over us” and backing tax breaks for wealthy Americans. The ad is the latest in the group’s effort to tie vulnerable House Republicans to the One Big Beautiful Bill.
And recruitment news: Emergency room nurse Mitchell Berman is launching a run against Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.).
