Abbott Says Fight Over Redistricting “Could Literally Last Years” as Democrats Remain Out of State

Governor Greg Abbott (R) defended his decision to pursue the arrest of Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block Republican redistricting efforts, warning that the political standoff over Texas’s congressional maps “could literally last years.”

In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Abbott reiterated that he will continue calling 30-day special legislative sessions until the GOP-controlled Legislature can move forward with its redistricting agenda.

“As soon as this one is over, I’m going to call another one, then another one, then another one, then another one,” Abbott said.

Dozens of Texas House Democrats have left the state, many traveling to Illinois and other Democratic states, to break quorum in the House and stall the passage of the GOP's proposed congressional map. Their absence prevents the chamber from conducting official legislative business.

The governor confirmed that Democrats who return to Texas will be subject to arrest and compelled to return to the Capitol.

“If they want to evade that arrest, they’re going to have to stay outside of the state of Texas for literally years,” Abbott said. “They might as well just start voting in California or voting in Illinois, wherever they may be.”

At the center of the standoff is the Republicans’ push to redraw U.S. House districts in a way that would strengthen GOP influence ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Although redistricting typically occurs once a decade following the census, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are encouraging aggressive legal and legislative efforts to shift maps in their favor sooner.

Democrats have vowed to counter Republican gerrymandering efforts in blue states where they control legislatures, but their reach is limited by fewer such states and existing court rulings.

The standoff has become one of the most prominent state-level showdowns in the national fight over redistricting with no clear end in sight.