Today's News: Texas Democrats Stage Legislative Walkout to Block Republican Redistricting
Their goal is to block a Trump-backed mid-decade redistricting bill that aims to redraw congressional maps to flip five Democratic U.S. House seats to Republican control ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Photo: Eric Gay/AP
Overview
Date: August 3, 2025
Topic: Texas Democrats Stage Legislative Walkout to Block Republican Redistricting
Summary: Dozens of Texas House Democrats have left the state, traveling primarily to Chicago and New York, in an extraordinary effort to deny the Republican-controlled legislature a quorum. Their goal is to block a Trump-backed mid-decade redistricting bill that aims to redraw congressional maps to flip five Democratic U.S. House seats to Republican control ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. This walkout is a last-ditch attempt to prevent what Democrats describe as a “rigged system” and an “anti-democratic assault” that would suppress the votes of Black and Latino Texans. Republicans, in turn, have threatened fines and arrests, calling the Democrats' actions cowardly and asserting the redistricting is a legitimate and necessary political move.
Sources
The New York Times - Texas Democrats Leave State to Block G.O.P. From Redrawing Political Map
CNN - Texas Democrats leave the state to prevent vote on GOP-drawn congressional map
NBC News - Texas Democrats head to Illinois to deny Republicans a quorum on redistricting
The Washington Post - Texas Democrats flee state, blocking plan to pad GOP’s control of Congress
Key Points
Texas House Democrats left the state to prevent a vote on a Republican-proposed congressional redistricting map.
The redistricting effort, backed by President Donald Trump, aims to redraw district lines to favor Republicans and potentially flip five Democratic U.S. House seats.
Democrats are attempting to deny the Texas House the necessary two-thirds quorum (100 out of 150 members) to conduct business. At least 51 of the 62 Democrats need to be absent for the walkout to be effective.
The primary destinations for the Democrats are Chicago (Illinois) and Albany (New York), with some also traveling to Boston.
Republican officials, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, have threatened civil arrest warrants and daily $500 fines for absent members.
Democrats characterize the redistricting effort as a “rigged system,” an “anti-democratic assault,” and an “intentionally racist map” designed to suppress the votes of Black and Latino Texans.
Republicans defend the redistricting as a legal, politically based, and necessary move to improve the state’s political performance and hold their national majority.
This is not the first time Texas Democrats have used this tactic; similar walkouts occurred in 2003 and 2021, though previous attempts ultimately failed.
National Democratic figures and organizations, including the Democratic National Committee, have expressed strong support for the Texas Democrats' actions and have threatened retaliatory redistricting efforts in Democratic-controlled states like California, Illinois, and New York.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times details that Gene Wu, chair of the Democratic caucus, faulted Mr. Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott for pushing redistricting before addressing deadly flooding in the Texas Hill Country. It also specifies that discussions with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker began in late June, with his staff providing logistical support like lodging and office resources. The article further elaborates on the 2021 walkout, noting that civil arrest warrants were issued and upheld by the Texas Supreme Court, though no arrests were made, and three Democrats eventually returned, allowing the legislation to pass. It also provides historical context on the 2003 redistricting fight, including Texas Senate Democrats hiding in New Mexico.
CNN highlights that the redistricting, if passed, could eliminate five Democratic U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. It quotes Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stating, “We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law,” though he did not specify which tools. CNN also notes that Republicans argue the current maps are “unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered” and that former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s PAC, Powered By People, will raise money to support the House Democrats, who are barred from using campaign funds for fines.
NBC News states that “roughly 30 Democrats” are heading to Chicago and are “expected to stay for the week.” It quotes Republican state Rep. Cody Vasut, who explicitly said, “This map was politically based, and that’s totally legal, totally allowed and totally fair… Texas is underperforming in that.” The article also positions Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as a potential 2028 presidential contender, noting his involvement puts him at the center of a high-profile national fight.
Fox News reports that the proposed map’s current design would tilt traditionally Democratic cities like Dallas and Houston in favor of Republicans and mentions a previous Fox News Digital report that found the new map would move Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett out of her own district.
The Washington Post specifies that Democrats plan to stay away “for two weeks” to run out the clock on the special session, which ends August 19. It notes that blocking action on flood relief legislation, also on the special session agenda, will likely be unpopular for the Democrats. The article highlights that this fight, along with a looming GOP effort in Ohio, has kicked off a national battle, and that the Democrats' embrace of an “all-or-nothing gerrymandering strategy” marks a shift from their previous support for nonpartisan map-drawing. It also details California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to retaliate by potentially redrawing all 52 of California’s congressional districts to favor Democrats, wiping out nine Republican seats, and the challenges of doing so given California’s nonpartisan commission.
The Wall Street Journal explicitly states that Gov. Greg Abbott called the special session “after requests by the White House” to change the maps. It also quotes Republican state Rep. Jared Patterson, “The future of our nation is at stake. We must send more Republicans to Congress to ensure that President Trump’s America First Agenda is fully enacted.” The article also mentions that Texas Republicans were “initially reluctant” to begin a mid-cycle redistricting but Trump “pushed hard for the move.”
Contrasting Details
Number of Democrats Participating: NBC News reports that “roughly 30 Democrats” are heading to Chicago. In contrast, The New York Times, Fox News, and The Wall Street Journal state that “at least 51” Democrats are leaving, which is the minimum number required to deny a quorum. The Washington Post also notes that “At least 51 of the chamber’s 62 Democrats will need to boycott the session.”
Duration of Walkout: The projected length of the walkout varies slightly across articles. The New York Times suggests it “could last through the rest of the 30-day special session, which was scheduled to end in late August, and possibly beyond.” NBC News states Democrats are “expected to stay for the week.” The Washington Post indicates Democrats “plan to stay away for two weeks to run out the clock on a special legislative session… which ends Aug. 19.” The Wall Street Journal specifies lawmakers “expect to remain out of state… for 2.5 weeks—the end of the special session.”
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