The Texas Democrat lawmakers who fled the state in a dramatic walkout to block Republican redistricting plans have announced their return, ending a two-week standoff and paving the way for the GOP to pass a new congressional map that strengthens conservative representation.
The walkout began on August 3, when 57 Democratic legislators left Austin to deny the Texas House a quorum, which requires at least 100 of the 150 members to be present to conduct business.
Their goal was to stop the passage of a proposed redistricting map that could boost Republican districts from 25 to 30 while slashing Democrat-leaning ones from 12 to eight.
Democrats have framed the stunt as a fight against “racist gerrymandering,” with the Texas House Democratic Caucus declaring they would now “launch the next phase in their fight against the racist gerrymander that provoked a weeks-long standoff with Governor Greg Abbott and President Trump.”
While the Democrats hid out in liberal strongholds like Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York, Texas Republicans, including Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, pushed for legal measures to remove the runaways from office. House Speaker Dustin Barrows also issued civil arrest warrants and halted direct deposits on their paychecks.
“Texans deserve leaders who show up, not ones who abandon their duties,” Gov. Abbott wrote on X last week.
The Democrats claim they are ending the standoff due to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement of a November referendum to redraw district lines in his state, potentially handing Democrats up to five more congressional seats to offset the Texas effort. However, early polling from POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab shows just 36 percent of the state’s voters support the change, so it may flop.
Though most are returning, one Democrat has said she will continue to avoid the state.
“I made a commitment to my district that I would fight until the end to keep our representation intact and I’m staying true to my word,” state Rep. Aicha Davis said in a statement.
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