Texas Democrats know they're fighting a losing cause. At least they're fighting.
Democrats in Texas are trying to represent the will of their constituents. To do so, they had to leave the state.
On Aug. 4, the Texas Legislature was scheduled to vote on congressional redistricting that would turn five districts favoring Democrats to favor Republicans. To prevent the vote from happening, Democratic state legislators fled Texas, ensuring that the General Assembly would not have a quorum and thus making the vote impossible.
'We come here today with absolute moral clarity that this is absolutely the right thing to do to protect the people of the state of Texas,' state Rep. Gene Wu, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus, said at an Aug. 3 press conference in Chicago. Other legislators traveled to Albany, N.Y., and Boston.
On one hand, this move by the Democrats is performative at best. Eventually, they will have to go back to Texas, and the new maps will be voted on. This doesn't mean it's a bad thing, though. It's one of the only things Democrats have done to counteract President Donald Trump's complete takeover of the government.
Texas Democrats are pushing back on Republican antics
This did not come out of nowhere – Trump specifically asked Republicans in the state to redraw the congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms to give their party an advantage through gerrymandering in the state's cities, which would give Democrats even less representation than they currently have. Gov. Greg Abbott had to call a special session to approve the maps.
At the press conference, Wu pointed out that this decision is happening against the backdrop of historic flooding in central Texas in July that killed 135 people, including more than 35 children. Instead of focusing on disaster relief, Republicans are choosing to address the congressional maps.
Republicans in Texas should be focused on helping their communities, not bending to the whims of the president. At the very least, redrawing districts could wait until after flooding has been addressed. While it was bold of Democrats to leave at such a perilous time, it's clear they're doing so because they feel it's the only option.
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Democrats know this is all for show. At least they're taking a stand.
The Democrats are certainly getting the attention of their fellow Texas politicians. Abbott is so upset, he's threatening to remove the lawmakers from office if they do not return to the state to vote on the new maps. He also said the Democrats possibly committed felonies by fundraising for the $500 a day fines they're facing.
'Come and take it,' the Democrats replied.
Opinion: What if I told you there's a Democrat who can still get the Republican vote?
Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also running for U.S. Senate, said he believes the runaway legislators should be 'found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.'
Dustin Burrows, a Republican and the Texas Speaker of the House, has said he's prepared to issue civil arrest warrants for the missing Democrats.
Trump has not weighed in on the Democratic play, seeing as he's too busy firing the commissioner of Labor Statistics and weighing in on Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad.
Ultimately, this act of protest will have to come to an end. Democrats will have to head back to Austin and vote on these maps, whether they like it or not. But at least they're doing something to sound the alarm on the president's meddling and Republican acquiescence.
People have been souring on the Democrats as of late. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most Democrats see their party as 'weak' or 'ineffective.'
It doesn't help that Democratic leadership is nowhere to be found nationwide. If anything, this act of protest will put attention back on the party and serve as a starting point for a stronger presence in predominantly red states ahead of the midterms. They're finally fighting back, even in a very red state like Texas.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno
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