Texas Democrats traveled to California and Illinois to meet with Democratic governors Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker, as tensions mount over a potential redrawing of Texas’ congressional map that could bolster Republicans’ House majority.
“They’re changing the rules in the middle of the game… this is cheating,” Illinois Gov. Pritzker said during a press conference. “Everything is on the table.”
The meetings came as Democratic lawmakers in Texas weigh a possible walkout from the special legislative session, a move aimed at blocking or delaying the GOP’s redistricting plans. Such a walkout would require at least 51 House Democrats and would risk fines and political backlash.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added redistricting to the session agenda following a letter from the Trump-aligned Justice Department earlier this month. The DOJ cited a federal court ruling and called for the redrawing of four Democratic-held, majority-minority districts, labeling them “unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.”
President Donald Trump has embraced the effort, telling allies he wants Republicans to gain at least five additional congressional seats in Texas.
Democrats fear the move sets a precedent for other GOP-led states. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently floated revisiting his state’s map, citing population changes.
“I think the state is malapportioned,” DeSantis said.
Some Democratic leaders argue their party should respond in kind. “We believe in independent redistricting, but that should only kick in when Texas agrees to it,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said.
Despite their out-of-state meetings, Texas Democrats emphasized they have not yet broken quorum. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa said she is open to the idea but added, “discussion of one is premature.”
Redistricting typically occurs once per decade after the Census, and mid-decade redraws are rare unless mandated by court rulings. Experts warn that aggressive map changes could trigger legal challenges, or voter backlash.
“We have to think about what should our response be,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said, “and how do we make sure that we have a response that’s actually meeting voters… instead of making a system worse.”
