Texas Democrats expressed defiance Sunday following Gov. Greg Abbott's threat to remove them from office for leaving the state to obstruct the passage of Republicans' extreme, Trump-backed gerrymandering plan.
"Come and take it," the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a short statement after Abbott issued an open letter vowing to "remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House" if they don't return by the time the body reconvenes late Monday afternoon.
Abbott cited a 2021 opinion authored by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, with the Republican governor claiming it empowers him to expel the Democrats who left the state and "swiftly fill" resulting vacancies.
But the attorney general's opinion does not actually conclude that it's unconstitutional to break a quorum, saying only that "a district court may determine that a legislator has forfeited his or her office due to abandonment and can remove the legislator from office, thereby creating a vacancy."
In addition to threatening the Texas Democrats with expulsion on dubious grounds, Abbott alleged that any Democrats who have solicited or accepted donations while breaking quorum "may have violated bribery laws." The governor said he would use his "full extradition authority" to ensure the Democrats' return to Texas.
More than 50 Texas House Democrats left the state Sunday, many of them traveling to Illinois. At a press conference alongside some of the lawmakers, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pledged to "protect every single one of them" in the face of Abbott's threats.
" Donald Trump is trying to cheat the system in Texas, but these Democratic legislators refuse to let it happen without a fight," Pritzker wrote on social media. "Their fight is our fight. I'm proud to stand side by side with them as they protect their constituents."
The proposed congressional map that congressional Republicans unveiled last week "packs voters of color into as few districts as possible in some areas and cracks them across several districts in others, effectively reducing the overall number of districts where Black and Latino voters are able to elect candidates of their choice," according to an analysis by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Democratic members of the U.S. Congress have voiced solidarity with the Texas lawmakers working to block the GOP gerrymandering scheme—and expressed hope that the effort will spark similar fights across the country.
"For folks watching at home that believe that voters should get to pick their politicians instead of Donald Trump picking their member of Congress, call your governor, call your state legislator, and tell them to fight back against what's happening in Texas," said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus whose district would be impacted by the Republican gerrymandering plan.
"Donald Trump is trying to rig elections across the country," Casar added, "and those that care about democracy are fighting back—not just in Texas."
Rick Levy, president of the Texas AFL-CIO, similarly applauded Texas Democrats and said that "we need lawmakers at every level and in every state to fight to protect our rights, no matter what it takes."
"Texas may be the beginning of this redistricting battle," said Levy, "but workers across this country will win the war."
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