AUSTIN — In a bold move, 62 Texas House Democrats crossed state lines on Sunday to block the passage of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Trump-backed congressional redistricting plan. The lawmakers flew to Chicago, New York, and Boston in an effort to deny Republicans the quorum needed to take up the fast-tracked legislation.
The proposed map would create five more congressional districts favoring the GOP, with District 33 being cut out of Tarrant County. However, most Democrats opposed the plan, citing concerns that it would disenfranchise minority voters.
“We know that this map is an all-out assault on the value of our vote,” said Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., D-Fort Worth, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. “It’s atrocious what these maps will do to Latino and Black communities around the state. It must be stopped.”
The Democrats’ move came after President Donald Trump expressed his support for the plan, stating that Texas would play an important role in securing a Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives.
In response to the lawmakers’ absence, Gov. Abbott threatened to take action against those who failed to attend, declaring that truancy was “an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”
However, Democrats maintained that they were taking a stand for their constituents and the integrity of the democratic process. “Today, I joined my Democratic colleagues to take an extraordinary legislative action,” said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie.
The walkout is part of a larger effort by lawmakers to tackle a special session with 18 agenda items, including redistricting, flood relief for Kerr County, and other top Republican priorities.
Source: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/08/03/tarrant-county-dems-among-texas-house-lawmakers-breaking-quorum-to-thwart-redistricting