On Sunday, Texas House Democrats left the state in a bold effort to block a Republican-backed redistricting plan that could eliminate several Democratic U.S. House seats and shift the balance of political power for years.
The redistricting, backed by President Donald Trump, has sparked a fierce Texas battle with national stakes for control of the House in 2026.
Texas Republicans are advocating for a mid-decade redrawing of congressional maps, stating that the current boundaries are unconstitutional. Democrats, however, describe it as a move targeting voters of color and aimed at strengthening GOP control.
The proposed map could eliminate five Democratic U.S. House seats before the 2026 midterms.
After the map’s introduction and facing likely defeat in the Legislature, Democrats played one of their few remaining cards: fleeing the state to break quorum and halt legislative business.
“We will not be complicit in the destruction of our own communities,” said Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu after arriving in Chicago, according to CNN.
Texas law requires two-thirds of House members to be present to conduct business. With 62 Democrats, at least 51 must stay out of state to block the vote.
After leaving on Sunday, the group split into several cities—Chicago, Boston and Albany—where Democratic governors have welcomed them. A few lawmakers stayed behind for personal reasons but will not appear in Austin.
In response, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to remove any lawmaker who fails to show up by Monday afternoon, calling their absence an “abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”
But Democrats remain defiant. “Come and take it,” the caucus declared in a statement.
“It is the right of legislators to deny quorum,” said Rep. Chris Turner. “The executive can’t remove lawmakers for representing voters.”
Redistricting usually follows the Census every 10 years, but this rare mid-cycle revision draws nationwide attention.
Whether this tactic holds is uncertain. In 2021, a similar walkout ended after 38 days with Democrats returning, letting Republicans pass voting restrictions.
After the 2021 walkout ended, the Legislature imposed $500-per-day fines on lawmakers absent to block business.
Still, Wu said Democrats are committed to staying out as long as necessary. “Whatever it takes,” he said. “What that looks like, we don’t know.”
As the current standoff continued, Abbott accused Democrats of raising money to pay fines, suggesting it could be a felony.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Senate candidate, called for arrests. “Democrats who run away should be found, arrested, and brought back,” he wrote on X.
Republicans describe the new map as addressing racial gerrymandering, while Democrats describe it as voter suppression.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said Sunday that Democrats may need to fight harder. “The danger to our democracy has increased,” he said on ABC’s This Week. “We’ve got to do things that perhaps in the past, I would not have supported.”
Democrats in states like California and New York are considering similar redistricting responses if Texas Republicans move forward.