By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews.com
Texas’ 3rd Congressional District has long been solid Republican ground — but if you look closely you might see that recent cracks are starting to show.
The latest Plano city elections saw moderates and progressives make surprising gains, hinting at possible shifts beneath the surface. Combine that with rapid growth from young professionals and rising Hispanic and Asian communities, and the district’s once-reliable political map is looking far less certain.
While Rep. Keith Self currently holds the seat, the real question is whether GOP dominance can endure as TX-03’s demographics shift — or if it will once again rely on the Texas Legislature’s redistricting efforts to secure Republican control.
A Destination for Young Professionals
Collin County has emerged as one of the most attractive destinations in Texas for young professionals, particularly those in their 20s and 30s. Between 2010 and 2020, the county’s population grew by an astonishing 36%, surpassing 1 million residents. Plano, Frisco, and McKinney have become major draws thanks to a booming job market, top-rated schools, and comparatively affordable housing — at least compared to states like California and New York.
Major employers such as Toyota, Liberty Mutual, and JPMorgan Chase have established major regional or corporate headquarters in Plano and Frisco, creating high-paying jobs in sectors like technology, finance, and professional services. Frisco’s population alone grew from about 117,000 in 2010 to over 207,000 by 2023, according to Census estimates — one of the fastest growth rates in the country.
But rapid growth has also strained local infrastructure. School districts like Plano ISD and Frisco ISD face challenges accommodating surging student enrollment, while residents regularly cite traffic congestion, rising property taxes, and housing affordability as top concerns. Local zoning debates, school board budget fights, and public works projects are increasingly in the spotlight — yet they often receive limited attention outside the local press.
Rising Diversity
Beyond the raw numbers, Texas’ 3rd Congressional District is changing — and fast.
Back in 2010, Hispanic residents made up about 15% of the district, and Asians about 13%. Today, both groups have grown sharply, reflecting a broader Texas trend where 95% of the state’s population growth over the past decade has come from communities of color.
You can see the transformation across Plano, McKinney, Allen, and now Princeton — one of Collin County’s fastest-growing cities — where booming Hispanic and Asian communities are reshaping neighborhoods, schools, and local businesses.
Allen ISD reports that over 60 languages are spoken at home, from Hindi to Mandarin. And while the high-profile EPIC City project — a planned Muslim-centered development in TX-03 — has drawn national attention, its very proposal underscores the district’s shifting cultural landscape and the growing presence of diverse communities.
Civic groups like LULAC and Asian Texans for Justice are pushing for stronger political representation, better services, and fairer maps that reflect these demographic realities. The real question now is whether local leaders will keep up — or risk falling behind as TX-03 moves into a very different future.
Political Landscape and Redistricting
Despite all the new faces moving in, Texas’ 3rd Congressional District is still Republican country — but look a little closer, and the cracks start to show.
In 2020, Rep. Van Taylor narrowly held his seat with just 55% of the vote — a sharp drop from the GOP’s usual landslide margins, thanks to an influx of younger, more diverse voters settling in Collin County suburbs like Plano and Frisco.
Then came the 2021 redistricting. The Texas Legislature didn’t just tweak the lines — they carved out diverse, urban neighborhoods and stitched in rural Hunt County. Practically overnight, the share of Asian eligible voters in TX-03 fell from 10.8% to 5.3%, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project — a change critics say was tailor-made to lock in Republican control.
And for now, it’s worked. In 2022, Keith Self cruised to victory, and by 2024, he held the seat without much challenge. But lawsuits over the fairness of those maps are still working their way through the courts — and the district’s demographic wave isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Why This Moment Matters
Texas’ 3rd District is a snapshot of Texas’ future — booming, diversifying, and politically up for grabs.
As Jeremy Sutka, Chair of the Collin County Democratic Party, noted at a recent Boots on the Ground event, Collin County is now the largest county in America yet to flip blue — and what happens here won’t just shape local politics, but ripple across the state and nation.
The big question isn’t just who wins the next election. It’s whether local leaders and voters can keep up with the rapid change, ensuring growth, fairness, and a community that works for everyone.
TX3DNews will be here to cover it — keeping the facts sharp and the focus local.