Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is now playing host to roughly 30 rogue Texas Democrats who fled the Lone Star State to block a mid-decade redistricting vote backed by President Donald Trump and the Republican legislature.
The Texas Democrats, once again resorting to legislative cowardice, broke quorum just before a scheduled special session that would have cemented a new congressional map, one expected to create five new GOP-leaning seats.
In their desperate attempt to stop the vote, these runaway lawmakers fled across state lines to Chicago, where they are being sheltered and advised by none other than far-left Governor Pritzker himself, according to NBC.
This marks the second time in recent years that Texas Democrats have pulled this unconstitutional stunt. They tried the same tactic in 2021—and failed.
In response, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton blasted the lawmakers, saying: “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law.”
Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.
We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) August 3, 2025
Last month, Paxton issued a stern warning, vowing to arrest any Democrats who attempted to play political games.
“If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go. The people of Texas elected them to do a job, not run away and hide like cowards. Lawmakers must answer the special session call and pass the important priorities that the Governor has put forward.
My office stands ready to assist local, state, and federal authorities in hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office and their constituents for cheap political theater.”
If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go. The people of Texas elected them to do a job, not run away and hide like cowards. Lawmakers must answer the special session call and pass the… https://t.co/sxLvZCIOB1
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) July 15, 2025
Now, far-left Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has brokered a deal to host 30 Texas Democrats in Chicago in a last-ditch attempt to sabotage a redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump and Texas Republicans.
These rogue Texas lawmakers fled the Lone Star State like cowards, deliberately breaking quorum to grind legislative business to a halt.
NBC reported:
The roughly 30 Democrats are expected to stay for the week in a plan brokered with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who had met with the Texas caucus late last month and has directed staff to provide logistical support for their stay. A news conference with the governor and Texas Democrats is expected later Sunday.
“We’re leaving Texas to fight for Texans,” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said in a statement. “We will not allow disaster relief to be held hostage to a Trump gerrymander. We’re not walking out on our responsibilities; we’re walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent. As of today, this corrupt special session is over.”
[…]
Politically, the move puts Pritzker at the center of a high-profile national fight. The governor, who is running for his third term in office, is also widely viewed as a 2028 presidential contender. He has implored Democrats to resist Trump’s agenda.
The origins of Pritzker’s involvement began when the governor gave a keynote address to Oklahoma Democrats in June. Pritzker met privately in a “robust” meeting with the party chair to talk about the Texas redistricting, according to a person close to the governor. When Pritzker later met with Texas Democrats, he assured them they could come to his state and find support, including finding hotels, meeting spaces and other logistical assistance.
The Texas Democrats, however, face the risk of a $500-a-day fine and even possible arrest for fleeing the state. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the measure in 2023, two years after state Democrats left the state for three weeks to block an elections bill from progressing.
“Democrats have got to stand up at this point and tell every individual in this nation, ‘This is not normal. This is not democracy,’” Democratic state Rep. Ann Johnson told NBC News on Saturday.
Read the full article here