Texas Democrats are fundraising to potentially leave the state to block GOP-backed redistricting
If they go that route, it appears they will have the backing of big-dollar Democratic donors.
By fleeing the state to deprive the Legislature of enough members to function, Democrats would each incur a fine of $500 per day and face the threat of arrest. Deep-pocketed donors within the party appear ready to cover these expenses, according to three people involved in the discussions.
The donors' willingness to foot the bill eliminates a major deterrent to walking out — the personal financial cost — and could embolden Democrats who might otherwise hesitate.
But first, the donors and absconding members would need to figure out how to skirt a potential roadblock: Texas House rules prohibit lawmakers from dipping into their campaign coffers to pay the fines. Republicans approved the $500 daily punishment in 2023, two years after Democrats fled the state in an unsuccessful bid to stop Republicans from passing an overhaul of the state's election laws.
Two people involved in the latest Democratic fundraising strategy sessions, who were granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, claim their legal teams have found a way to disburse the funds to the members but declined to provide any additional details.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat who was part of the 2021 quorum break, sees a path to circumvent the campaign finance rules: With minimal limits on external income, Texas lawmakers can simply accept the donations as another salary, she said. As one of the most prolific fundraisers in the U.S. House, Crockett said she's willing to tap her donor base — and her $3.7 million war chest — to cover the expenses.
On private donor calls, members of Congress, including Rep. Greg Casar of Austin, have been making the case for high-stakes Democratic resistance, including a quorum break, according to two people familiar with the calls.
Their pitch frames the rare mid-decade redistricting saga as a key front in their battle against the White House. To some, this fight is not simply about the congressional maps; it could provide Democrats with actionable opposition their base is hungry for.
Donors appeared convinced and ready to open their checkbooks should Texas members decide to flee the state, according to three people who were on the calls or briefed on them. One person estimated lawmakers would need $1 million per month to finance the protest — a sum that those involved in the calls are certain they can secure.
Paying these fines may not even be necessary, Crockett believes.
'I think that the first step would be to make sure that there are attorneys on deck to actually challenge the legality of these rules,' she said in an interview with The Texas Tribune.
Andrew Cates, an Austin-based campaign finance and ethics lawyer, said he would be 'very surprised if there were any real monetary penalties that were enforceable.'
Spokespeople for Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and Rep. Charlie Geren, the Fort Worth Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, did not respond to requests for comment.
The quorum break would buy precious time Crockett and other Democrats see as essential to educating the public about the harms they believe new maps would inflict, along with allowing a court challenge around the current maps to continue making its way through the system.
As part of the lawsuit against the 2021 maps, Republican map drawers testified that they did not consider race when crafting the new district lines. But to justify this mid-decade redistricting, GOP operatives are using a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice, which says four current districts are racially gerrymandered.
'All of a sudden, all these years later, they're like, 'never mind,'' Crockett said. 'They really were considering race. They weren't race neutral.'
If lawmakers decide to bring the chambers to a standstill, a public messaging war would almost certainly ensue, drawing more attention and money to both sides' cause.
Republicans would likely say Democrats are abdicating their duty as elected officials and hindering flood relief bills lawmakers are expected to consider in response to the deadly July Fourth flooding in Central Texas.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has also called for fleeing Democrats to be arrested and offered his office's services in 'hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office' by breaking quorum.
Many Democrats see any attempt to stop these new maps, no matter how unorthodox, as effectively representing their constituents who do not want to see the maps redrawn.
Apart from quorum breaks, money is pouring in from national Democratic groups who are looking to capitalize on the issue.
The Democratic National Committee is leveraging 30,000 volunteers to contact 'persuadable Republican and independent Texas voters' to encourage them to submit public comments or call their state legislators with opposition to the new maps. They have sent 250,000 text messages aimed at mobilizing voters to attend field hearings around the state, according to a DNC news release.
The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, while not involved in the quorum break talks, is planning to host an August fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard with President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the group's chairman, former Attorney General Eric Holder, according to a person involved in the organizing of the event. Money raised from the event will be used to support Texas Democrats who are opposing the redistricting efforts and the NDRC's general operations.
The NDRC's campaign arm, the National Redistricting Action Fund, has also committed an unspecified amount to digital ads in Texas aimed at turning the public against the GOP's new maps.
Additionally, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats' main political group, has committed to spending six figures on a public opinion campaign, with plans to spend more money to target Republican candidates in Texas who find themselves vulnerable under the new map.
A new fund backed by the House Majority PAC also pledged $20 million on Monday to flipping seats in Texas.
Spokespeople for the DNC, the NDRC and the DCCC each said their organizations have yet to officially get involved in the quorum break fundraising efforts.
The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 13–15. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today!
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