Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sharply criticized House Democrats on Monday after dozens fled the state to block a Republican-led redistricting vote by denying the legislature a quorum. About 50 Democrats traveled to Chicago, preventing the Texas House from reaching the 100-member threshold required to conduct business. Abbott ordered the lawmakers to return by 3 p.m. Monday, August 4, 2025, or face removal from office.
Abbott warned that he would invoke a Texas attorney general opinion to declare absent lawmakers’ seats vacant if they failed to appear. He also raised the prospect of criminal charges, alleging that Democrats who solicited or accepted funds to offset fines for their absence may have violated Texas bribery laws. Abbott said such actions could constitute second-degree felonies and vowed to use extradition authority to demand the return of any lawmakers deemed to have committed crimes.
Texas Democrats responded defiantly, with the House Democratic Caucus issuing a brief statement: “Come and take it.” They denounced the proposed redistricting plan as a “racist mid-decade redistricting scheme” that could net Republicans five additional U.S. House seats. Abbott countered that attending and voting is mandatory for elected officials, insisting that “real Texans don’t flee from a battle” and accusing Democrats of abandoning their duties.