Texas Democrats Defy Republicans, Flee State to Block Congressional Map Redistricting

Strategic Insights -

Texas Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday evaded their Republican colleagues in a bid to block a redrawn congressional map that could benefit the GOP, causing the state's governor to threaten their expulsion and impose civil arrest warrants on them. The move marks a rare instance of Democrats using their numbers to withhold quorum and delay a legislative session in Texas.

Key Takeaways:

  • Texas Democrats left the state in order to deny Republicans the quorum they need to pass the congressional map redistricting bill, which could add five Republican seats to the House of Representatives.
  • Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin called the Republican redistricting plan "illegal" and "racist," and vowed an aggressive response from the party.
  • Governor Greg Abbott threatened to have the absent Democrats expelled from office and ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate them for potential bribery and other crimes.
  • The move has drawn the attention of federal authorities, with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) writing to the FBI Director to request assistance in arresting the absent lawmakers.
  • The absent Democrats are being sustained by supportive family members and constituents, who are messaging them nonstop to express support for their cause.
  • The Democrats have not ruled out the possibility of repeating the move in the future, although they have not said how they would fund such efforts.
  • The redistricting plan has been criticized by Democrats as a partisan move to gain an advantage for the Republican party.
  • Republican Governor Greg Abbott has defended the redistricting plan, saying that it is within the power of the state to redraw its own congressional map.

Statistics:

  • 30: The number of days in the special legislative session that the Democrats are trying to run out the clock on.
  • 5: The number of Republican seats that the new map could add to the House of Representatives.
  • $500: The daily fine that Democracy could be subject to if they refuse to return.
  • 2: The number of weeks that Goodwin said she packed enough clothes for, anticipating that she and her colleagues may be away for an extended period of time.
  • 1: The number of state Democratic lawmakers who left Texas to join their colleagues in Illinois to block the redistricting plan.

Sources:

  • [Patrick Marley, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Hannah Knowles, "Trump says Republicans 'entitled' to redraw congressional maps in Texas", The Washington Post (internal citation not available)]
  • [President Trump's interview with CNBC]
  • [Ken Martin's statement at the Democratic National Committee]
  • [Greg Abbott's statement to the media]
  • [John Cornyn's letter to the FBI Director]
  • [Vikki Goodwin's statement to reporters]