Texas Politics

Marc Veasey, Fort Worth Democrat drawn out of his district, will seek reelection

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, speaks on stage for the “Build The Backlash” rally at greater St. Stephen First Church in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2024. The rally called out the efforts of Texas republicans to gerrymander the state and silence Black voters.
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, speaks on stage for the “Build The Backlash” rally at greater St. Stephen First Church in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2024. The rally called out the efforts of Texas republicans to gerrymander the state and silence Black voters. ctorres@star-telegram.com

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey says he is running for reelection after he was drawn out of his congressional district.

The Democrat from Fort Worth has represented Congressional District 33 since 2013. Whether he will run for that North Texas district or Congressional District 30, currently held by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat who was also drawn out of her home district, is up in the air, according to a source familiar with the situation.

“Let me shut this down right now: I absolutely intend on running for reelection,” Veasey said in a Wednesday statement. “Any suggestion otherwise is a flat-out lie. I’ve spent my career fighting for North Texas, and I’m not about to back down now. I will continue fighting every single day for the issues that matter to our families, workers, and communities. I will be on the ballot, I’m in the fight, and I fully intend to win. End of story.”

The announcement comes after lawmakers approved a new congressional map drawn mid-decade to boost Republican performance in the 2026 midterm election. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill with the new map on Aug. 29. The boundaries are facing legal challenges, with a key hearing in El Paso this week.

The map moves Congressional District 33, which includes parts of Tarrant and Dallas counties, fully into Dallas County. Veasey would no longer live within the district under the new boundaries, though residing in the district is not a requirement to run for Congress.

A determining factor for which district Veasey runs is whether the new maps take effect for the 2026 election, a source familiar with the situation said. Crockett has previously said she is mulling a bid for Congressional District 33, which is were she’d live under the new maps, according to CBS 11.

Veasey has been a vocal opponent of the redraw, testifying against an earlier, largely similar version that was considered during an initial special session. Lawmakers have since approved new lines in a second special session.

He and other opponents have said the map will dilute the voting power of Black and Hispanic Texans.

“For the Black communities and brown communities in Fort Worth, their representation and their ability to have influence in elections are gone,” Veasey said during an Aug. 1 committee hearing in Austin. “It’s done.”

Asked about his political future after his testimony that day, Veasey said he was focused on fighting the proposed congressional boundaries.

As drawn now, Congressional District 33 includes Cockrell Hill, Everman and Forest Hill, as well as parts of Carrollton, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Grand Prairie, Irving, Arlington, Fort Worth and Grand Prairie.

Veasey serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. He founded the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus.

This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 11:43 AM.

Eleanor Dearman
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
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