Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to remove “derelict Democrats” from the state’s House of Representatives if they fail to return by Monday afternoon.
The threat came after numerous Texas Democrats left their home state and traveled to Illinois in an effort to prevent the state legislature from holding a vote that would approve Republican-backed redistricting maps.
In a letter to the Democrats, Abbott wrote: “Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did… rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”
Why It Matters
Abbott’s threat intensifies the face-off over Republican efforts to redraw the districting map in Texas to bolster the party’s chances of retaining the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans in other states facing significant battleground contests have looked to follow a similar path.
Republicans have slim majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, giving Democrats hopes of retaking at least one of the Houses of Congress in next year’s elections.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
What To Know
Abbott said in his statement that the Texas Democrats’ absences were “premeditated for an illegitimate purpose… the specific purpose of abdicating the duties of their office and thwarting the chamber’s business.”
He said their action amounted to “an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”
He added: “This truancy ends now. The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3.00 p.m. on Monday.
“For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House.”
More than 51 Democratic members of the Texas House left the state on Sunday, aiming to deny the chamber a quorum and prevent passage of the proposed Republican map before a scheduled floor vote. The Texas House requires the presence of at least 100 of its 150 members to conduct business.
With only 62 Democratic members in the chamber, their collective absence can halt legislative proceedings.
Abbott had called a special session to address the flooding that killed 135 people last month in Texas Hill Country and the redistricting plan.
Mark Black/AP
Democrats have argued that if Republicans succeed in redrawing the Texas districts, Trump will push other states to do the same.
Speaking in Chicago on Sunday, Texas House Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu said: “We’re not here to play political games. We’re here to demand an end to this corrupt process. Today is the day this corruption ends.
“If Donald Trump is allowed to do this, once again cheat and get away with it, there’s no stopping this, it will spread across the country… and rip it apart.”
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said that the Texas Democrats had no choice but to leave their state to block the vote “and protect their constituents.”
“Let’s be clear, this is not just rigging the system in Texas. It’s rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Abbott said in his statement: “In addition to abandoning their offices, these legislators may also have committed felonies. Many absentee Democrats are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules. Any Democrat who “‘solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept’ such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 36.02.
“The same could be true for any other person who ‘offers, confers, or agrees to confer’ such funds to fleeing Democrat House members. I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons.”
The Texas House Democratic Caucus said in response to Abbott’s threat: “Come and take it.”
Colin Allred, a former Democratic Senate candidate for Texas, said in a statement:”Texas House Democrats just did what this moment demands — they broke quorum to stop a blatant power grab. This wouldn’t have happened without the thousands of Texans who showed up, testified, and refused to be ignored. You gave them the strength to act.
“This fight isn’t just about maps — it’s about power. When Republicans silence Black and Latino voters, they’re not just rigging elections. They’re rigging who gets health care, clean water, and a fair shot.
“Let’s be clear: they don’t just want to rig the vote. They want to use that power to rig the economy — to keep helping the wealthy and well-connected while working families get left behind.”
What Happens Next
Texas Republicans are attempting to find legal means of passing the proposed redistricting maps, though that may lead to a drawn-out legal battle.
The U.S. Supreme Court is already reviewing a dispute over redistricting in Louisiana, and earlier this year overturned a lower court’s decision that ruled South Carolina’s congressional map as unconstitutional.