WCPT 820 Interview: Texas Democratic State Rep. Chris Turner

Richard Chew is joined by Texas Democratic State Rep. Chris Turner. 

Turner, who has represented Texas's 101st House District since 2013, discussed the demographic changes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, calling it "a microcosm of Texas. It's very diverse," Turner said. "It's very ethically mixed. It's a solid middle-class area. And I think it represents the new Texas, which is younger, more diverse and a lot more politically tolerant of freedom and new ideas than what our current government looks like."

Turner was one of the Texas state House Democrats who came to Illinois earlier this month in an effort to deny Republicans the quorum they needed to pass into law a new congressional map that further favors the GOP. The 2021 redraw did not reflect the state's population growth, he told WCPT, 95 percent of which was people of color. "Number one, Hispanic Texans, followed by a big growth in Black Texans, and then a huge jump as well in Asian and Southeast Asian Texas," Turner said. "And what do Republicans do with all that information? They created two new districts . . . and they gave them both to Anglo voters. It's just absolutely wrong."

"That's the reason that we're having to go through this redistricting fight right now," he continued, "because Texas is changing, and Republicans are trying to rig the game to silence the voices of Texans of color so they can hang on to power, and they're doing it in a racially discriminatory way. That's the whole reason for this mess that we're in is because Texas is changing, and Republicans don't like it." 

Turner returned to Texas with other state Democrats the night before the interview and acceded to a House Republican demand to be put under the watch of the Texas Department of Public Safety until the chamber reconvenes August 20. His colleague, State Rep. Nicole Collier (D), refused and had been confined overnight at the time of the interview. 

"Nicole is a dear friend," Turner told WCPT. "She and I represent the same area. We're from the same county, so we've worked together closely for a long time. Listen, Nicole Collier is someone who is principled, who is strong and is not afraid to make a stand."

He emphasized the importance of federal voting rights protections and court intervention to address racial discrimination. He also expressed his gratitude for the support the Texas Democrats received from the state of Illinois in their fight against gerrymandering. 

"Governor Pritzker and all of Illinois were just so welcoming to all of us for two weeks there. We just can't thank him enough, his team enough, and the people of Chicago and greater Illinois enough," Turner said. 

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