Texas House Democrats fled the Lone Star State in an attempt to prevent GOP state lawmakers from redrawing con gressional districts in the state.
The Republican-led redistrict ing proposal could add up to f ive GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The redis tricting is being closely watched nationally.
Texas legislative rules require two-thirds of members (100 of 150) be present for a quorum and a vote to be taken. There are 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats in the Texas state House. Republicans only need 12 Democrats to be present to conduct business.
Most of the Texas Democrat House lawmakers flew to Illi nois to hide in an effort to block the passage of the redistricting map. The tactic, called ‘break ing quorum,’ could violate their oaths of office and result in removement from office.
Three observations: First, elections have conse quences. Democrats are com plaining because Republicans in the Texas Legislature are in charge of redistricting, but for years the Democrats were the majority party and in control. When they were the majority, they drew districts favorable to the Democrats. Republicans now have a majority and can redraw the districts. Democrats can't really prevent it unless the entire delegation stays out of the state until at least Novem ber. That is not likely. The Texas Legislature needs to approve the new districts before the f iling of the 2026 midterm elec tions (November 2025).
Second, Texas Democrats have pulled this stunt before. Breaking quorum is a tired and true tactic of Texas Democratic lawmakers. Back in 2003, more than 50 Democrat legislators holed up in an Ardmore, Okla homa, Holiday Inn for a month to protest a redistricting plan.
One Democratic lawmaker f inally broke rank and went home. He was compelled to show up in the chamber, a quo rum was established and the bill was placed. The Democrats did it again in 2021 to protest voting procedure changes in Texas, but once again someone got homesick and the deadlock was broken.
"If you're the minority party, and you can't block any leg islation, one nuclear option you always have is to walk out, thereby preventing the legis lature from engaging in any activity and particularly passing legislation," Mark P. Jones, a po litical science professor at Rice University explains. But Jones says the action just delays the inevitable. It seldom derails it.
Third, state redistricting impacts all Americans. The 435 members of the U.S. House are allocated according to population. Each state legis lature draws the congressio nal districts within the state. With Republicans holding the majority in 28 of the 50 state legislatures, you would think congressional districts would favor the GOP. But they don't control several of the larger population states — New York, California and Illinois. That's why the margin in the House is so slim. Republicans currently hold a narrow seven-member majority vs. Democrats in the House. If GOP state legislatures draw districts more favorable to GOP candidates, in theory, more Republicans will be elect ed to the House.
What isn't being talked about is Democrat-controlled state legislatures are working to ger rymander districts to aid the liberal cause. Their outrage by Democrats in the Texas Legis lature is doing in redistricting is hypocritical and sanctimo nious.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says if the Democratic lawmak ers return, "they will be arrest ed and taken to the Capitol." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims to have started procedures to remove 13 of the Democratic legislative desert ers from office. Paxton claims they violated their oaths of office and vacated the office by not showing up for a quorum call.
One thing is sure, Democrats will not be successful in stop ping the Texas redistricting. The fleeing the state strategy hasn't worked in the past and will fail this time. Breaking quorum is a lot like breaking wind: it’s noisy and it stinks.