Texas Democrats leave state to foil GOP effort to redraw congressional districts - WSJ

Texas Democrats leave state to foil GOP effort to redraw congressional districts - WSJ

In a dramatic move to block Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts, Texas Democrats have left the state, effectively denying the GOP the quorum needed to vote on the proposed maps. This action is part of a broader political strategy aimed at protecting the Republicans' narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The redistricting plan, championed by U.S. President Donald Trump, aims to add as many as five new Republican-leaning seats in Texas. The current map, passed just four years ago, gives Republicans control of 25 out of 38 seats in a state that voted for Trump by a 56% to 42% margin. However, redistricting experts have warned that the plan could backfire if Republicans try to squeeze too many seats out of the already skewed map [1].

The move by Texas Democrats is not unprecedented. In 2019, House Democrats left the state for 38 days to protest new voting restrictions. However, the outcome of this quorum break remains uncertain. The Texas House requires at least two-thirds of its members to be present to pass bills, and with 51 Democrats leaving the state, the chamber will lack the necessary quorum [2].

The absence of Democrats will also delay votes on flood relief and new warning systems in response to last month's catastrophic floods in Texas, which killed at least 136 people. Democrats had called for these votes before taking up redistricting and criticized Republicans for not prioritizing the issue [3].

In response to the Democrats' move, Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows has stated that if a quorum is not present, "all options will be on the table." Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has also called for Democrats to be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol [2].

The quorum break has also drawn the attention of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who has been in quiet talks with Texas Democrats and offered support if they chose to leave the state. Last week, Pritzker hosted several Texas Democrats in Illinois to publicly oppose the redistricting effort [2].

This high-stakes showdown over redistricting could set the stage for a national fight over the issue. Trump is looking to avoid a repeat of his first term, when Democrats flipped the House just two years into his presidency, and hopes the new Texas map will aid that effort. However, the Democrats' move may also prompt retaliatory actions from other states [2].

References:
[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2025-08-03/texas-democrats-seek-to-block-redistricting-vote-by-leaving-state
[2] https://ca.news.yahoo.com/texas-democrats-leave-state-block-210042226.html
[3] https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-map/