Earlier today, over fifty Texas Democratic lawmakers flew to Illinois to try blocking a Republican redistricting plan. Many arrived at O’Hare International Airport, where Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and local advocates welcomed them. The lawmakers’ decision to travel to Illinois came a few hours after Governor Abbott called a special legislative session. Initially meant to deal with flood relief, the session saw the introduction of a congressional map redrawing proposal meant to be implemented before for the 2026 elections.
The proposed new map was set to add five Republican-leaning districts. With the strategic move to temporarily relocate to Illinois, Democrats denied the House a quorum, thus stalling the legislative process and vote on the congressional map. Texas Republicans have stated their intentions to press for a vote as soon as a quorum is regained, while the missing Democrats maintain they will remain out of state for as long as it takes to block the vote.
Governor Abbott has imposed a daily civil fine of $500 for each missing lawmaker, while threatening to arrest the lawmakers and remove them from office if they refused his call to return to the state by 3 p.m. His threat was backed by a 2021 opinion from the Texas attorney general suggesting that the legislature could vote to expel absent members. Many legal minds believe that any attempt to remove sitting lawmakers would likely end up tangled in court battles and force new elections. Abbott also signaled that any lawmaker who accepts outside money to pay fines could face criminal charges. In Chicago, Governor Pritzker told reporters his office would not turn over the Texas delegation to authorities and said the group would have Illinois’ protection as long as needed.
Democrats have accused President Donald Trump of orchestrating the Texas redistricting push as part of a broader strategy to secure a larger Republican majority in the U.S. House for the 2026 midterm elections. Trump has been vocal about his support in recent speeches and posts, making it clear that he views the Texas map as central to keeping the House in GOP hands next cycle. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in California, New York, and a handful of other states are also discussing the possibility of their own redistricting efforts to help defending existing maps.
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