Texas Democrats fled the state on Sunday in an attempt to delay Republicans from voting on a new congressional district map.
The point: Texas Republicans released a new congressional map that would give the GOP a path to pick up five seats in next year’s midterm elections in easily held Democrat seats.
- “They are attempting to cheat,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said of Texas Republicans Sunday evening.
- The move comes amid President Donald Trump’s public pressure for a new map in the state.
Having impact: The proposed map would shift district lines that would target current Democratic members of Congress around Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
- Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu said at a Sunday evening press conference the issue is of “deep concern”.
- “We’re not walking out on our responsibilities; we’re walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent. As of today, this corrupt special session is over,” he said.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to expel the Democrats from the Texas state House and even go as far as have them arrested.
- “I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons,” Abbott said in the statement.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin in a statement said the DNC would “fight alongside” the Texas Democrats “to stop this anti-democratic assault.”
Overall view: California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are calling for special sessions of their own to redisrict their states in response to the GOP’s efforts in Texas.
- “Remember, all bets are off. All bets are when the cult leader and would-be dictator tells Texas to mid-stream change the game when they know they’re going to lose in 2026. All bets are off. Everything’s got to be on the table,” Pritzker said.
