By Black Star News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Texas state Democratic lawmakers are headed toward a clash with Governor Greg Abbott after they fled the state in an attempt to stop Republicans, and Donald Trump, from rigging the state’s congressional map so Republicans can obtain five more seats in the upcoming 2026 mid-term Elections.
By leaving Texas, for Illinois, Democrats are denying Republicans a quorum on their redistricting scheme to stop a vote on it. The Republicans’ gerrymandering plan would bolster their slim lead in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans control 219 seats to the 212 held by Democrats. Democrats say they plan to stay away from Texas for two weeks.
Abbott is now threatening to remove Democrats, who were elected by the constituents, from office.
In a statement released Sunday, Abbott stated that “Democrats hatched a deliberate plan not to show up for work, for the specific purpose of abdicating the duties of their office and thwarting the chamber’s business. That amounts to an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office…derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. For any member who fails to do so,
I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from
membership in the Texas House.”
Gene Wu, chairman of the Texas state Democratic caucus, defended the actions of Democrats. “We’re not walking out on our responsibilities,” said Wu. “We’re walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent.”
Wu also made it clear that Abbott was doing the bidding of Trump.
“Gov. Abbott is doing this in submission to Donald Trump so that Donald Trump can steal these communities’ power and voice,” Wu said. “We will not be complicit in the destruction of our own communities. We’re not here to play political games, we’re here to demand an end to this corrupt process.”
Wu also addressed the fear that Texas Democrats would be arrested for leaving Texas.
“We have discussed this. This is a topic of serious concern. We know the governor has no authority to send state troopers over here but we don’t know what Donald Trump’s going to do,” Wu said. “That’s not far-fetched from arresting state legislators because they feel like it, and consequences be damned.”
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