Today was my 6th day in El Paso covering the Texas redistricting hearing and it was the most consequential yet. We heard testimony from Adam Kincaid, the GOP operative who drew Texas’ gerrymandered map. As you know, if allowed to stand, the map could flip five congressional seats in the midterms, giving President Donald Trump a major boost.

But if you watched or read national news today, you’d have no idea this was happening. Why?

Because not a single reporter from national, legacy media showed up to court. 

Over the past week, as I've watched the press box shrink, I've been so proud to work for a news outlet like Democracy Docket.

We show up when others don’t. We explain what’s at stake, and we make sure the fight for democracy doesn’t happen in silence.

I have a break from the courtroom, so here’s a quick catch up:

• Kincaid testified that he was hired by the RNC to draw Texas’ map — underscoring how the drive to create as many safe seats as possible for the GOP, and rig next year’s midterms, is a national priority for the party.
  
  
• Kincaid denied using racial data in drawing the map — something that would likely be illegal. But because he was presented as a lay witness, not an expert, lawyers for the groups challenging the map weren’t able to question him in detail about the process. 
  
  
• As a result, they objected to Kincaid’s testimony being admitted. The court opted to hear it, and decide later whether to allow it.

We're grateful to members like you who understand the need to power independent, pro-democracy journalism. 

Thanks for following along with me. I promise to keep showing up and exposing what's happening in court, even when others won't.

— Jen