Democrats Stage Walkout Over Trump-Backed GOP Redistricting in Texas

Texas Democrats Leave State to Block Republican-Backed Redistricting Plan

A group of Democratic lawmakers from Texas has left the state in an effort to stall a vote on a proposed congressional redistricting map that favors the Republican Party.

The redistricting proposal—introduced last week by the Republican-controlled Texas legislature and supported by former President Donald Trump—aims to add five new GOP-leaning seats to the U.S. House of Representatives. With Republicans currently holding a narrow majority in the House, the move could significantly bolster their position in upcoming elections.

Texas law requires two-thirds of the 150-member state House to be present for legislative votes. By leaving the state—many traveling to Illinois—51 Democratic legislators have effectively denied the chamber the quorum needed to proceed.

The lawmakers say they plan to remain out of Texas for the remainder of the special legislative session, which is expected to last two weeks.

Texas Governor and Attorney General Threaten Action Against Absent Democratic Lawmakers

The special legislative session—called by Republican Governor Greg Abbott—was intended to address multiple high-priority issues, including flood recovery efforts following last month's deadly storms, a proposed ban on THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis), and the controversial electoral redistricting plan.

With 51 Democratic state legislators refusing to attend, key votes have stalled. In response, Governor Abbott has warned of potential efforts to remove absent lawmakers from office if they continue to defy the session's agenda.

Each lawmaker could also face fines of $500 per day for their absence. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also a Republican, has escalated the pressure by threatening arrests.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Paxton wrote:

"Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately."
He added that the state should "use every tool at our disposal" to locate and return the missing legislators.

Texas GOP Pushes Aggressive Redistricting to Expand House Majority

Republicans in Texas, who currently hold 25 of the state's 38 congressional seats, are pushing forward with a redistricting plan that could boost their count to 30 seats—all in districts that former President Donald Trump carried by double digits in the 2024 election.

The redrawn map is expected to play a significant role in shaping the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections, potentially reinforcing the GOP’s narrow control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans currently hold 219 seats in the 435-member House, while Democrats have 212.

The proposed map includes several major changes:

Redrawing two Democrat-held districts in Austin, merging them into one.
Redesigning the Rio Grande Valley boundaries to weaken Democratic influence.
Expanding Congresswoman Julie Johnson’s North Texas district into traditionally Republican rural areas.
Adjusting four Houston-area districts, including one held by Democratic Rep. Al Green.

Republican state lawmaker Todd Hunter, who authored the redistricting bill, defended the proposal, calling it “a good plan for Texas.”

A Familiar Tactic: Democrats Flee to Block Quorum

This marks the third time in recent decades that Texas Democrats have left the state to prevent a Republican-led vote. In 2021, Democratic legislators flew to Washington D.C. in an effort to stall a controversial voting law. In 2003, they fled to Oklahoma in a similar attempt to block GOP redistricting—a move that ultimately failed.

This time, 51 Democratic lawmakers left for Illinois, halting legislative progress by denying the Texas House the two-thirds quorum required to vote. Their goal: to delay the redistricting process until the current special session, convened by Governor Greg Abbott, expires.

While redistricting traditionally takes place every 10 years after the U.S. Census (the last was in 2020), this mid-decade redrawing is unusual and has stirred additional controversy. Critics argue the changes are designed to dilute Democratic strongholds and cement Republican dominance for years to come.