Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at a press conference at the DuPage County Democratic Party office in Carol Stream, Illinois, August 3, 2025. MARK BLACK/AP
Dozens of Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives left the southern US state on Sunday, August 3, in a last-ditch maneuver to block electoral redistricting requested by US President Donald Trump.
The high-stakes move took place before lawmakers were set to vote Monday on the new map, which, if passed, could help Republicans win five additional seats in the US House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, giving them a better chance of maintaining their slim majority.
The plan put to a vote would divide up Democratic-leaning urban centers, home to most of Texas's roughly 30 million residents. The practice of redrawing electoral districts is known in the United States as gerrymandering. Currently, Republicans hold 25 of the state's 38 seats.
"This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity," said Gene Wu, chair of the Democratic caucus, in a statement. "We're not walking out on our responsibilities; we're walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent," he added.
