Texas Redistricting Showdown

This truancy ends now. … I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s response to Texas House Democrats who left the state in order to prevent a vote on the state’s newly-proposed congressional maps, which were drawn by Republican House members.

Why It Matters: A new congressional map in Texas has the potential to influence the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections. Redistricting efforts are sometimes criticized because they can be used to unfairly favor one political party, a practice known as gerrymandering, and often lead to legal battles.

More Context: On Sunday, more than 50 Texas House Democrat members left the state in order to deny the Republicans a quorum (since two-thirds of the 150-member House must be present in order to conduct business), effectively halting Monday’s scheduled vote on the controversial new map drawn by Texas Republicans. If adopted, the new map has the potential to add five more Republican-leaning seats to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Gov. Abbott warned that absent lawmakers who failed to return by 3 p.m. Central Time on August  4 could be removed from office and/or face felony charges for raising funds to pay fines ($500/day) incurred during their absence, alleging such fundraising could violate state bribery laws.

In response to Gov. Abbott’s remarks, the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued a statement that read, “Come and Take It,” a reference to a symbol of Texan defiance during the 1835 Battle of Gonzales, which marked the start of the Texas Revolution against Mexican rule.

Learn More:

• Governor Abbott Statement On House Democratic Quorum Break
• Gov. Greg Abbott threatens Texas House Democrats with removal from office for fleeing state (Texas Tribune)
• Texas governor threatens to remove Democrats who left state over Trump-backed redistricting (Associated Press)
• Gov. Greg Abbott’s options to force a redistricting vote are more limited than they appear (POLITICO)

Image Credit: Carla Astudillo / Texas Tribune