[JURIST] As a panel of three federal judges heard arguments Thursday about how to redraw Texas' 23rd Congressional District without diluting minority votes in violation of the Voting Rights Act [text; DOJ backgrounder], US Circuit Judge Patrick Higginbotham said Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) [official website] will likely be "the odd man out" when the lines are redrawn. Bonilla's district stretches from Laredo north to San Antonio and west to parts of El Paso. The new map will likely make for a much more competitive race for Bonilla, giving Democrats a chance to pick up a seat in Texas, where Republicans have dominated recently.

The Supreme Court ruled in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry [JURIST report; Duke Law case backgrounder] and three other consolidated cases in June that the 23rd District, as redrawn by Republicans in 2003, violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. AP has more. The Houston Chronicle has local coverage.