Texas Democrats who fled to Illinois forced to evacuate hotel after bomb threat
The St. Charles Police Department in Illinois said officers responded to a report of a bomb threat at about 7:15 a.m. local time Wednesday at a hotel where the Democrats were staying. The department's officers, along with those from the fire department and the Kane County Sheriff's Office, conducted a 'thorough' search and did not find any device, according to a release.
The release said 400 people were evacuated as bomb squad units conducted their search, and everyone has been able to return to the hotel.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said he's 'aware' of the threats and instructed the Illinois State Police to ensure that public safety is maintained.
'Threats of violence will be investigated and those responsible will be held accountable,' he said in a post on X.
A group of Texas state House Democratic leaders — Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu, Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chair Ramón Romero and Legislative Black Caucus Chair Barbara Gervin Hawkins — said in a statement that a threat was made on Wednesday morning against the members, but everyone is safe.
'We are safe, we are secure, and we are undeterred,' they said. 'We are grateful for Governor Pritzker, local, and state law enforcement for their quick action to ensure our safety.'
The Hill has reached out to the state police for additional information.
The threat comes as Texas remains in a standoff over the Republican-led plan to redraw the state's congressional district lines to add up to five more GOP-held seats in the 2026 midterms. State House Democrats left the Texas on Sunday to go to a few other states, including Illinois, to deny the body a quorum and prevent it from being able to conduct business.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has ordered the members' arrest, arguing that they have violated their oath of office by refusing to attend the special legislative session that he called to address the redistricting plan. President Trump suggested the FBI may get involved to help Texas return the state legislators, and Sen. John Cornyn (R) sent FBI Director Kash Patel a letter requesting that the agency does so.
State Rep. Ann Johnson (D), a member of the group who traveled to Illinois, said the threat is what happens as a result of 'reckless rhetoric,' pointing to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's (R) vow to 'hunt down' those who left.
'When the Attorney General tells people to 'hunt us down,' it's not just politics — it's a threat to our safety,' she said. 'I've had my life threatened before as a chief human trafficking prosecutor. I never expected those threats would come from the Governor or my colleagues in the Legislature.'
She pledged that she and her colleagues 'won't be intimidated' and will remain united and committed to representing their constituents who elected them to their offices.
State Rep. Jon Bucy (D), another member, said this type of discourse 'emboldens bad actors' and encourages violence.
'It's unacceptable and needs to end,' he said. 'But let me be clear: Texas Democrats are not deterred — we are determined. We will push through the threats and the noise to keep fighting for our constituents, our democracy, and our country. This is a fight worth having.'
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Meanwhile, Cantrell drew criticism for taking first-class trips abroad at the city's expense, violating a policy that requires city employees to use cheaper fares. She eventually agreed to repay the difference. A WVUE television investigation also found she was using a city-owned apartment as a part-time residence. Cantrell survived a recall campaign launched in 2022 by disgruntled Black Democrats and largely funded by wealthy white Republicans. She is also among more than 100 people brought up on corruption charges in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans two decades ago, said Rafael Goyeneche, a former prosecutor who is president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, a watchdog group that provided photographs and information to federal authorities in the latest case. 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Thomas Porteous Jr., a federal judge from New Orleans, was impeached and removed from the bench after the U.S. Senate in 2010 determined he took money from attorneys and bail bondsmen and lied in a personal bankruptcy filing, among other offenses. He never faced criminal charges as a result of the probe, which ran from 1999 to 2007. He died in 2021.
