Texas Democrats return after fleeing to fight redistricting push
Houston, Texas - Dozens of Democratic legislators who fled Texas to halt an aggressive redistricting drive ended their two-week standoff on Monday, clearing the way for a new electoral map pushed by Republican President Donald Trump.
With their return, the Texas House now has enough lawmakers to form a quorum and approve a map that carves out five new Republican-friendly US congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
More than 50 Democrats had stalled legislative business with their walk-out, which took them across the country and garnered national headlines as they sought to draw attention to the rare mid-decade redistricting push.
"When Republicans tried to silence minority voters through racist gerrymandering, Texas House Democrats answered the call," the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement on the legislators' return.
"After rallying Americans to join this existential battle for democracy, we're returning to Texas on our terms – ready to build the legal record needed to defeat these unconstitutional maps in court. The fight continues."
The moves in Texas have set off an escalating redistricting battle across the country, with Republican governors in several other states exploring new maps in a bid to protect the party's razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives.
Politico reported that Republicans could draw as many as 10 new seats ahead of the midterms and are targeting Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, Indiana, South Carolina, and Florida.
Democrats have vowed to retaliate with their own proposals in California, and possibly in New York.
Texas Democrats push back against redrawing of electoral map
The Texas Democrats amassed daily fines of $500 each during their absence and were slapped with lawsuits from Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who tried to remove them from office.
Republican John Cornyn, who is fighting a challenge for his US Senate seat from Paxton, enlisted the FBI in locating the absent lawmakers while State House Speaker Dustin Burrows issued civil arrest warrants.But the group only agreed to return after denying a vote on the new map during a first special legislative session, and after California lawmakers agreed to redraw their own map to give Democrats five more seats.
Abbott called a second special session that began on Friday.
California state lawmakers were expected this week to consider a new map counteracting the Texas changes.
Cover photo: Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP