Texas Democrats head to Illinois to deny Republicans a quorum on redistricting [View all]

Source: NBC News

Aug. 3, 2025, 4:56 PM EDT / Updated Aug. 3, 2025, 7:23 PM EDT


CHICAGO — In an extraordinary move to counter Republican redistricting in Texas, dozens of Democrats in the state House of Representatives are heading here Sunday to deny a necessary quorum for the GOP to move forward with those efforts.

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 his staff to provide logistical support for their stay. Additional Texas Democrats were expected in Boston and Albany, New York. 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.”

Last week, Texas Republicans released a proposed new congressional map that would give the GOP a path to pick up five seats in next year’s midterm elections. It followed President Donald Trump’s public pressure for a new map in the state as he works to retain a majority in Congress in what historically is a difficult year for the party holding the White House.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/texas-democrats-head-illinois-deny-republicans-quorum-redistricting-rcna222743