❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Texas legislature is advancing a new congressional redistricting bill put forward by Republicans following weeks of Democrat sabotage.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas Republicans, Texas Democrats, Governor Greg Abbott (R), and Democrat governors such as New York’s Kathy Hochul and California’s Gavin Newsom.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Texas, following a Democratic walkout to deny quorum in early August; Democrats returned this Monday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The derelict Democrats spent two weeks of shirking their responsibilities and wasting taxpayer money running from a fight.” – Gov. Abbott.
🎯IMPACT: If passed, the Texas map could flip five Democratic seats to Republican control, intensifying national redistricting battles.
The Texas legislature is set to consider a new congressional redistricting proposal introduced by Republicans on Wednesday, after weeks of sabotage by Democratic lawmakers. Without the numbers to vote down the proposal, Democrats fled the state to deny the legislature a quorum—resulting in Speaker Dustin Burrows issuing civil warrants for the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms and state troopers to arrest them.
Republicans view the Democrats’ return on Monday as a win. If enacted, the proposed new map could shift five congressional seats currently held by Democrats into Republican hands.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott reacted to the Democrats’ return, saying, “The derelict Democrats spent two weeks shirking their responsibilities and wasting taxpayer money running from a fight. Now Republicans will do what we were always going to do: pass the new maps and a host of conservative legislation.”
In response, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has declared her intent to “fight fire with fire,” pledging that Democrats in her state will move forward with their own redistricting efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have followed suit, putting forth a new congressional map in California that could flip five Republican-held districts to the Democrats, despite major opposition from even their own voters.
GOP-controlled states like Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri are actively pursuing or weighing their own redistricting revisions. Democratic-leaning Maryland and Illinois have joined New York and California in working to redraw their political maps.
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