In the midst of Trump-aligned Republicans trying to forcibly redistrict Texas congressional lines early to influence the 2026 midterm elections, Texas Democrats have deserted the state House of Representatives. Republicans are furious, levying daily fines and ordering the arrest of all the vacant representatives. From the outside, it all seems surreal – what’s the point of all this?
Make no mistake, Republicans are angry because the Democrats’ actions worked as intended. Texas might be edging closer to becoming a swing state, but it’s still overwhelmingly controlled by the GOP. Typically, Texas Democrats have virtually no power – they make up 62 of the 150 total members of the House, so they have very little say regarding legislation when Texas Republicans stand united. Despite this, Republicans still need the Democrats to conduct business since Congressional rules require the House to meet a quorum of 100 total House members in the room. With all Texas Democrats gone, there are only 88 Republicans left – failing to meet the quorum requirement.
“It needs Democrats in the room, even if it doesn’t need their votes, in order to enact the new map,” reported NPR. In an interview with Mark P. Jones, a Rice University political science professor, explains, “If you’re the minority party, and you can’t block any legislation, one nuclear option you always have is to walk out, thereby preventing the legislature from engaging in any activity and particularly passing legislation.”
The vast majority of Texas Democrats have fled to Illinois, where Governor JB Pritzker has pledged support. Despite Texas Governor Greg Abbott demanding the arrest of the vacant Democrats, he and Texas Republicans have zero authority beyond their state lines. Pritzker has officially stated that Illinois will not comply with Texas orders to arrest the vacant representatives. In a press conference reported by The Guardian, Pritzker elaborated, “We’re going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them and make sure that – ‘cause we know they’re doing the right thing, we know that they’re following the law.”
This has resulted in most Texas Democrats arriving in Illinois, with a small number in New York and Massachusetts. The primary goal of Republicans, as cited by the Associated Press, is [to add] five more GOP seats in Texas in the midterm elections to boost [Trump’s] party’s chance of preserving its slim U.S. House majority.” In the midst of discussing the Texas situation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “I have a news flash for Republicans in Texas: This is no longer the Wild West. We’re not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law-breaking cowboys.”
The Associated Press has generally condemned the move. The AP and other media outlets have been quick to point out that this tactic hasn’t worked in the past. From a purely legal standpoint, Republicans aren’t violating any laws by redistricting the maps – and since the districts are already weighted conservative, it might not seem like a big deal. However, Texas has been on course to become a swing state due to its growing population, directly sourced by California and Texas’s own increasing Latino population, both of which don’t align with traditional conservative values.
Yes, Texas Democrats will eventually have to return to the House. Yes, Texas Republicans will eventually redistrict and further gerrymander the state. In that sense, the move will fail – but there’s more going on. It is important to remember that Democrats are given no other option: In ultra-conservative states like Texas, minority party members are silenced, demeaned, and even kicked out for voicing opposing opinions. Their votes (as well as the votes of the Americans they represent) are meaningless because of the way their state is structured. While their move only delays the redistricting plan and other bills, it can be empowering – it’s easy to feel hopeless and like we have zero power in the current political climate, but even small acts can make big impacts while showing how polarized the nation is.