**Democratic Lawmakers Abandon Texas to Thwart GOP Redistricting Plan Backed by Trump**

Fifty-one Democratic lawmakers leave Texas to deny Republicans a quorum for voting on a new congressional map that could shift electoral power.

In a bold move to challenge Republican dominance, a group of Democratic lawmakers has left Texas, aiming to impede a vote on a contentious congressional redistricting map. The proposal, unveiled last week and supported by former President Donald Trump, is designed to add five Republican-leaning seats to the U.S. House of Representatives.

To make this tactic work, a two-thirds majority of the 150-member Texas legislature must be present to conduct a vote. Thus far, fifty-one Democratic lawmakers, most currently in Illinois, have opted to absent themselves, effectively removing the quorum necessary for Republicans to proceed with the vote. With a special legislative session called by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott focusing on redistricting and disaster relief for recent floods, the Democrats plan to maintain this absence for the two-week duration of the session.

The Democrats are prepared to face penalties; each absent lawmaker risks a $500 fine for each day they do not attend. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has even threatened arrests for those fleeing from their duties, stating the state must utilize all available resources to bring them back to the Capitol. His stance reflects a growing tension between the parties over election integrity, with calls from Democratic leaders asserting they are standing against a "rigged system."

While Democrats across the nation have expressed their frustrations and evaluated potential retaliatory actions, their options seem constrained. In states where Democrats control the redistricting process, instances of gerrymandering comparable to that of Republicans are already evident. For instance, the recent congressional map in Illinois has been criticized for its lack of fairness.

Presently, Texas Republicans occupy 25 of the state's 38 congressional seats and aspire to bolster this representation to 30—focusing on districts that Trump won with significant margins in the last election. Changes are set to impact key districts, including areas in the Rio Grande Valley and Austin, merging existing Democratic territories with Republican strongholds.

This isn't the first instance where Texas Democrats have resorted to absconding to impede Republican efforts. In 2021, they fled for Washington D.C. to obstruct new election regulations, a venture that ultimately failed. Furthermore, during a 2003 redistricting attempt by Republicans, they journeyed to Oklahoma in a similar act of defiance.

With every ten-year census prompting a reevaluation of voting districts to represent population shifts, the urgency surrounding this redistricting is heightened as it occurs mid-decade, a break from traditional practices. As pressure mounts ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, both parties remain locked in a contentious struggle for control over Texas's political landscape.