Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that he will begin proceedings to remove Democratic lawmakers from office if they don’t return to the state by Monday. The Democrats have been boycotting the state’s House proceedings, with over 51 members absent, in a bid to block the proposed congressional maps that would create five new Republican-leaning seats in the House of Representatives. This move is part of a broader strategy backed by President Donald Trump to bolster the GOP’s chances in the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposed maps would significantly impact the balance of power in the House, where Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’s 38 seats. Abbott’s ultimatum has ratcheted up the tension, with Democrats accusing Republicans of “cowardly” surrender to Trump’s call for redistricting to further his policies. “Texas Democratic lawmakers are halting Trump’s plan by denying his bootlickers a quorum,” a statement from the Democrats read.
The Democratic exodus from Texas was reportedly coordinated with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has offered logistical support for the lawmakers’ stay. Pritzker, a vocal critic of Trump, met with the Texas Democratic caucus and has been quietly working with them to oppose the redistricting effort. “This is not just rigging the system in Texas, it’s about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come,” Pritzker said.
The Texas Democrats have also accused Abbott of withholding aid to flood victims in a bid to force the redistricting vote through. Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic caucus chair, said, “We’re leaving Texas to fight for Texans. We will not allow disaster relief to be held hostage to a Trump gerrymander.” Wu emphasized that the Democrats are not abandoning their responsibilities but rather standing up against a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people they represent.
If the Democrats succeed in denying a quorum, it would delay the vote on the proposed maps and potentially scuttle the Republican effort to create new GOP-leaning seats. However, Abbott has vowed to take action, citing a 2021 legal opinion that suggests a court could determine that a legislator has forfeited their office. “This truancy ends now,” Abbott said, warning that lawmakers may have committed felonies by raising money to help pay for fines they’d face.
In response, the House Democrats issued a defiant statement, saying, “Come and take it.” The Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows has also indicated that all options will be on the table if a quorum is not present on Monday. The standoff highlights the deepening divide between the two parties over redistricting and the lengths to which they are willing to go to achieve their goals.