Texas Democrats prevented their state’s House of Representatives from moving forward with a redrawn congressional map sought by President Donald Trump, forcing the chamber into an impasse.
A group of dozens of Texas Democrats left the state, leaving Republicans unable to establish a quorum and delay legislative business. The Republican-dominated House issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities.
House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows urged Democrats to “show up to do their jobs,” but they countered that Gov. Greg Abbott’s threats to remove them were a partisan power play. The impasse centers on Trump’s effort to get five more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas, at Democrats’ expense, before the midterms.
Texas Democratic lawmakers are holding out, saying they will “do whatever it takes” but won’t say how long they’ll hold out. The lack of a quorum will delay votes on disaster assistance and new warning systems after last month’s catastrophic floods that killed at least 136 people.
The dispute reflects Trump’s aggressive view of presidential power and his grip on the Republican Party nationally, while testing the balance of powers between the federal government and individual states. Democrats, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, are pitching redrawing their district maps in retaliation, which could slash five Republican-held House seats in California.
The standoff is being seen as a national issue by Democratic governors who want to leverage the fight, with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker welcoming Texas Democrats to Chicago and calling it “not just rigging the system in Texas” but also against the rights of all Americans for years to come.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819