The Republican camp wants to adopt an electoral redistribution of Texas which could be favorable to it. But such a vote can only be held if two thirds of the 150 legislators in the House of State representatives are physically present.
“We leave the Texas To beat us for the Texans ”hammered the president of the State Democratic Group of the State, Gene Wu. Sunday, August 3, about fifty elected officials from his party to the House of Representatives left the territory to try to fail an electoral redistribution (commonly called «gerrymandering» In the United States) requested by US President Donald Trump.
This Monday, the Chamber meets in a special session summoned by the Republican Governor Greg Abbott, in order to work on this very favorable redistribution to the Conservative Party. It could indeed allow them to win five additional seats in the congress during the next “midterms” (mid-term elections) in early November 2026, giving them a better chance of preserving their narrow majority (220 against 212).
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The Republicans currently occupy 25 of the 38 seats reserved for Texas in the House of Representatives. However, the new electoral card could allow their party to reach a total of 30 seats. Reason why Donald Trump “Publicly encouraged the legislature controlled by the Republicans and (Greg) Abbott to seek five more seats”indicates the Statesmanthe daily life of Austin, the Texan capital.
Abandon a “rigged system”
The project submitted to the vote this Monday aims to cut out the urban centers with a democratic tendency and to integrate them into areas with a republican majority. However, such a vote can only be held if two thirds of the 150 legislators in Texas in the House of Representatives are present. The Democrats occupy 62 seats in this room with a republican majority, and more than fifty would have left Texas according to Josh Rush Nisenson, spokesperson for the Democratic Parliamentary Group, who has not given a specific figure.
“It is not a decision that we make lightly, but it is a decision that we make with absolute moral clarity”Gene Wu announced in a press release. “We do not give up our responsibilities; We abandon a rigged system that refuses to listen to the citizens we represent ”.
Many of them went to Illinois where they were welcomed by Democratic Governor JB Pritzker. A fervent opponent of Donald Trump, he has already received several Democratic representatives of Texas last week to oppose this attempted redistribution. Texan representatives could stay in Illinois until August 19, date of the end of the special session.
“Blocking a vote will be unpopular”
However, their refusal to present themselves to an assembly constitutes a civil violation of the legislative rules. In 2021, the Supreme Texas Court ruled that the leaders of the Chamber had the power of “Physically forcing to introduce yourself” The absent deputies. But no democrat had been reversed after the issuance of arrest mandates that year. Then in 2023, the Republicans had new rules penalize by fines of $ 500 per day adopt all elected officials who do not present themselves to their work.
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More “Blocking a vote on this file will probably be unpopular ”explains the Washington Post . Because the Republicans planned, during this session, to provide an answer to the deadly floods at the beginning of the month. The absence of democratic elected officials would therefore also concern this problem. In retaliation, California and New York have nevertheless announced that they could also revise the division of their constituencies.