Texas lawmakers gathered in New York to blast Republicans’ redistricting proposal after more than 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state ahead of a scheduled legislative session on Monday.
As the GOP seeks to redraw congressional maps and add as many as five congressional seats in their favor, state Democrats broke quorum, or the minimum number of legislators needed to conduct business, and traveled to Illinois, Boston, and Albany, New York.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said during a press conference that the fleeing lawmakers are “brave soldiers for our democracy” and they are on the “right side of history.”
“History will judge us for how we respond to this moment,” Hochul said.
“This is a war. We are at war. And that’s why the gloves are off, and I say, bring it on,” the governor added.
Texas state Rep. Mihaela Plesa, vice chairwoman of the state Democratic caucus, said at the press conference that this is a moment of “national urgency” and condemned Republicans for strategically tying the redistricting to financial relief for families who were impacted by the devastating floods that killed over 120 people.
“Today on the House floor, House Republicans do not want to put flood relief, disaster relief — They didn’t want to do anything for the people of Texas. They’re bending the knee to President Donald Trump,” Plesa said.
She said the redistricting bill is an “attempt to steal power,” comparing Trump asking for redistricting in Texas to his plea with Georgia leadership to find votes during the 2020 election.
“What did Georgia say? No. Well, Trump called our governor. … What did our governor say? ‘Sure, give me a minute. Coming right up,’” Plesa said.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is threatening to remove the lawmakers from office, and the state lawmakers face $500 fines, as well as possible legal action from Texas GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Hochul said the Texas Democrats would be leaving New York today, but advised the lawmakers not to say where they are heading next. Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is with the delegation of state leaders in Illinois, told the Washington Examiner, “No, we’re not going back today!”
Plesa said Texas Democrats are “building a coalition” and meeting with Democratic governors across the country.
“We’re continuing to bring coalitions into the fold and educating people as to what’s happening and letting them know that the rules have changed,” Plesa said.
Texas Democratic state Rep. Lulu Flores said the Democrats are not “abandoning our jobs,” as Republicans and Abbott have accused.
“I represent a Democratic district, and our voices deserve to be heard. I am not abandoning my duties — I am doing my job, and Democrats have been shut out of the process over and over and over again, and Democratic voices have a right to be represented,” Flores said.
In response to Texas’s redistricting, blue states like New York and California have begun exploring options to hold their own mid-decade redistricting to offset any additional GOP seats drawn by the Lone Star State.
Hochul said at the presser that she is exploring with state leaders “every option” to redraw New York’s congressional lines “as soon as possible.”
New York Democrats unveiled a bill last week that would begin mid-decade redistricting in 2027, only if another state does it first. But Hochul noted that to kickstart redistricting would require amending the state Constitution either this year or next year, with a likely implementation in the fall of 2027 ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
TEXAS DEMOCRATS LEAVE STATE IN EFFORT TO HALT GOP REDISTRICTING PLAN
New York Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said there’s “no such thing as nonpartisan in politics” when asked if the mindset of New York not playing fair because Texas isn’t playing fair could lead to a “slippery slope.”
“I think it’s difficult to ask New York, California, and other Democratic-leaning states to play non-partisan while the Republicans play very partisan,” Heastie said.
Ross O’Keefe contributed to this report.