Texas Democrats have once again fled the state in an attempt to block Republican redistricting efforts, with dozens reportedly traveling to Illinois on Sunday to break quorum and stall a special legislative session.
The session, backed by President Donald Trump and Texas GOP leaders, was set to approve a new congressional map that would create five additional Republican-friendly seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Second Quorum-Breaking Stunt in Four Years
The move mirrors a similar stunt in 2021, when Texas Democrats abandoned their duties to obstruct GOP-backed election reforms. Now, once again, Democrats are attempting to halt the legislative process by making sure the Texas House doesn’t have enough members present to conduct business.
“My Democratic colleagues and I just left the state of Texas to break quorum and stop Trump’s redistricting power grab,” Rep. James Talarico said in a video posted to X.
“Trump is trying to rig the midterm elections right before our eyes. But first he’ll have to come through us.”
GOP Responds: Arrest Them
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wasted no time responding, calling the fleeing lawmakers “cowards” and