Today's News: Texas Democrats End Walkout, Trump Pushes for Further Voting Changes
In response, California Democrats have launched their own effort to redraw their state’s maps to offset potential GOP gains.
Photo: Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Overview
Date: August 18, 2025
Topic: Texas Democrats' Return and the Escalating National Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting and Election Rules
Summary: Texas House Democrats ended their two-week walkout, returning to Austin and allowing Republicans to establish a quorum and advance a new congressional map. This mid-decade redistricting effort, initiated by President Donald Trump, aims to create more Republican-leaning seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In response, California Democrats have launched their own effort to redraw their state’s maps to offset potential GOP gains. The political standoff has amplified a national debate over gerrymandering and election integrity, with President Trump also pushing for broader changes to U.S. election procedures, including the elimination of mail-in voting and voting machines, despite constitutional limitations on his authority.
Sources
The New York Times - Texas Democrats End Walkout, Allowing Redrawn Map to Pass
CNN - Texas Democrats return to the state as GOP pushes ahead with redistricting
NBC News - Texas Democrats return to the state, ending two-week standoff over redistricting
The Washington Post - Democrats return to Texas, clearing way for GOP to draw new map
The Washington Post - Trump says he will ‘lead a movement’ to eliminate mail-in voting
The Wall Street Journal - Texas Democrats End Walkout, Ensuring GOP Redistricting Plans Will Pass
Key Points
Texas House Democrats returned to the state, ending their two-week walkout, which had prevented a quorum in the Republican-controlled legislature.
The return allows the Texas House to move forward with passing a new congressional map.
The proposed Texas map aims to create approximately five more Republican-leaning U.S. House seats to help the GOP maintain its majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
Democrats argue the new map is “racist” and will illegally disempower Black and Hispanic voters, vowing to challenge its legality in court.
California Democrats, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, are initiating their own redistricting effort to counteract the Texas changes, potentially gaining five more Democratic seats.
Republican states beyond Texas, including Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio, are also considering or have been lobbied to pursue their own mid-decade redistricting plans.
President Trump is also actively pursuing broader changes to national election procedures, including efforts to eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines, citing false claims of widespread fraud.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times details Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton suing to remove absent Democrats from office, Senator John Cornyn involving the F.B.I. in locating them, and Speaker Dustin Burrows threatening $500-a-day fines. It also provides specific quotes from State Representatives Mihaela Plesa, Gene Wu, and Jolanda Jones, with Jones stating she would not return. The article uniquely mentions state police officers being assigned to returning Democrats to ensure their presence.
CNN provides detailed information about California’s redistricting process, including the requirement for voter approval to override the independent redistricting commission, the need for a two-thirds vote in each chamber, and tight deadlines for the November ballot. It highlights specific opposition from former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charles Munger Jr., and notes a divide among good government groups like the League of Women Voters and Common Cause regarding the California effort.
NBC News mentions that the two-week quorum break was costly for Democrats, who faced $500 daily fines and security threats while away from their families. It also specifies that the state Senate had already passed a redistricting bill the previous week, despite protests, with only two Democratic state Senators remaining to allow passage.
The Associated Press focuses on President Trump’s broader efforts to alter U.S. election rules, including his vows to eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines through executive orders. It details the constitutional limitations on the president’s power over elections and mentions Trump’s false claims about fraud and his discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin on election rigging.
The Associated Press also highlights the current U.S. House composition, noting the Republican seven-seat majority. It explicitly compares the redistricting processes in Texas and California, emphasizing California’s independent commission and the need for voter approval versus Texas’s legislative control. It also mentions that the Democrats' walkout prevented lawmakers from providing relief to areas affected by devastating floods.
The Washington Post provides the specific U.S. House majority count at 219-212 with four vacancies.
The Washington Post reports on Trump’s false claims about mail-in voting leading to fraud and his intention to use an executive order, but also points out that Trump himself has used mail-in voting.
Contrasting Details
While most articles generally state that Texas Democrats “returned” to the state, The New York Times specifically notes that “Many other Democratic lawmakers did not immediately return… 29 members were recorded as absent — and some remained out of state,” with State Representative Jolanda Jones explicitly quoted saying, “I’m not coming back.” This contrasts with the broader implication of a collective return that forms a quorum as presented in other articles.
Regarding the Democrats' motivation for returning, The New York Times states that Democrats decided to return after the first special session ended, having achieved their goal of holding together to attract national attention and give other states time to start their own redistricting processes. In contrast, CNN and NBC News specify that Democrats had laid out two conditions for their return—California introducing its proposed new maps and Speaker Burrows adjourning the first special session—and that both conditions were met on Friday. These are not direct contradictions but offer different levels of detail and framing regarding the immediate triggers versus the broader strategic goals.
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