Doc Anderson has voted twice to racially divide Waco.
The Texas Constitution requires the Texas legislature to draw Texas House District lines every ten years after the U.S. census is published. Voting districts are to be drawn to keep “communities of interest” together. A “community of interest” is “a contiguous population which shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation”. Obviously Waco and East Waco are one community of interest.
However, during the 2011 redistricting session, Doc Anderson voted to racially divide East Waco from Waco so that East Waco is not represented by Waco’s Representative in the Texas House. He voted to have East Waco represented by a representative from College Station, Texas. Yes, you heard me right. For the last ten years, East Waco has not been represented by Doc Anderson in the Texas House of Representatives. Citizens of East Waco could literally walk to Doc Anderson’s office in downtown Waco, but their Representative in the Texas House lives in College Station, Texas - 100 miles away. I believe that this has resulted in East Waco not having effective representation in the Texas House of Representatives. East Waco is full of rich history and citizens who are proud of their community. East Waco has many challenges. I believe that stripping East Waco from having local representation in the Texas House hurts all of Waco and is simply wrong.
Redistricting came before the Texas legislature again in the 2021 session. I drove to Austin, personally met with Doc Anderson and requested that he stop racially discriminating against East Waco by including East Waco in House District 56. I testified before the Texas House Redistricting Committee on this issue. My published letter to the Waco Tribune-Herald Editor, entitled “Racial Gerrymandering of Waco Must End”, was printed in the September 25, 2021 edition of the Waco Tribune-Herald and can be viewed on my campaign website, www.erinshankfortexashouse.com. Doc Anderson never even acknowledged my testimony before the House Committee nor my letter to the editor. Once again, he voted to racially discriminate against East Waco by refusing to include East Waco in House District 56.
However, I believe that East Waco finally has a chance to have effective representation in the Texas House of Representatives. Cedric Davis, a retired police officer, former mayor, veteran, retired teacher, prior candidate for Texas governor and now city manager for the City of Marlin, is the Democratic Candidate for House District 13 on the November 8th ballot. Although Cedric is not from East Waco, he is developing deep roots in East Waco and lives just 20 minutes away in Marlin, Texas.
Waco is a beautifully diverse community that should not be racially divided. We have one City Council that represents all of Waco. We have one Commissioner’s Court that represents all of McLennan County. Cedric Davis and I have pledged to represent Waco and East Waco together in Austin. This will result in Waco literally having two strong voices before the Texas legislature working together to provide representation of our united city and county in the Texas House of Representatives.
Vote Erin Shank (H.D.56) and Cedric Davis (H.D.13) for the Texas House on November 8th because we are United Waco and we deserve better representation in the Texas House of Representatives.
Published in the Waco Tribune-Herald on 8/28/2022