Texas redistricting battle: Democratic lawmakers flee the state as Abbott warns absentees risk losing their seats

Dozens of Texas Democratic lawmakers unexpectedly fled the state on Sunday in an effort to block the state House from moving forward with a vote on a redistricting proposal backed by President Donald Trump. Following the events, Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned in a statement that the absent lawmakers could be removed from office and face felony charges.

“Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business,” the Republican governor declared, before calling on the missing legislators to return to the state by Monday.

According to Abbott, the quorum-breaking tactic —publicly acknowledged by Democratic leaders— “amounts to an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”

“When the Governor calls a Special Session, our Constitution provides that the ‘Legislature shall meet.’ (...) It’s not optional. It’s a duty. The absconded Democrat House members were elected to meet and vote on legislation—not to prevent votes that may not go their way.”

If lawmakers fail to return to the state by 3:00 PM when the House reconvenes, Abbott said he will invoke “Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House.”

Finally, the governor warned that the legislators may be committing felonies if they are accepting funds to pay fines related to their absences.

“Many absentee Democrats are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules. Any Democrat who ‘solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept’ such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 36.02.”

Democrats denounce manipulation of electoral maps

The legislative measure in question aims to redraw Texas' district maps, potentially creating five new seats for Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently, Republicans hold 25 of the state’s 38 congressional seats, so any increase in that distribution would place them in a favorable position to expand their majority in the lower chamber.

However, for the Texas House of Representatives to be in session, the presence of at least 100 of its 150 members is required. Without the Democrats, a quorum is not feasible.

According to the spokesman for the Democratic Caucus, at least 51 representatives from their caucus surprisingly left the state, temporarily blocking the legislative process.

According to Fox News, the group traveled to Chicago, where they plan to hold a press conference alongside Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.

Democrats charge that the proposal upsets the electoral balance and weakens representation in traditionally Democratic cities or urban areas, such as Dallas and Houston. Also, critics of the measure say draft versions of the map could even change its configuration to the point of leaving out incumbent legislators.

State House Speaker Dustin Burrows has already warned Democrats that the session will still be scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m., noting that, if a quorum is not present by that time, “all options will be on the table.” Also, Attorney General Ken Paxton reiterated that lawmakers who are absent on purpose could be arrested for abandoning their duties, a measure allowed by state law in cases of obstruction of the legislative process.

This is not the first time Texas Democrats have resorted to the broken quorum strategy. In 2021, while an electoral reform was being debated, they staged a similar action to prevent approval. According to different reports, the idea now is to stay out of the state until the end of the special legislative session called by Abbott.

Meanwhile, the national Democratic Party gave its unequivocal backing to the absent lawmakers, while Republican figures nationwide defended redistricting as a legitimate move to reflect demographic changes and bolster their political agenda ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.