>> i hear that said often but at the end of the day, the voting still occurs by the population that goes and votes. >> but if you decide that the population that's going to vote for you are like-minded people -- >> well, communities of interest. >> communities of interest isn't just code for keeping republicans with republicans and democrats for democrats? >> i don't believe so, no. >> reporter: jaton served on the texas house redistricting committee. his own district is becoming more republican. >> when the districts are drawn so that republicans are in safe republican seats, democrats are in safe democratic seats -- >> sure. >> -- isn't that, by definition, incumbent protection? >> not necessarily because even if it's a republican district, they still have the republican primary, so their incumbent is not necessarily safe. >> reporter: true incumbents still aren't safe. but the threat to them in politically gerrymandered districts full of voters in their own party comes from within, not across the aisle, pulling lawmakers even more to