"This wasn't a decision we made lightly. It's a moral imperative," Gene Wu, leader of the Texas House Democrats, said on the evening of 3/8 after arriving in Chicago, Illinois.

More than 50 Democratic House members left Texas the same day. Most chose Illinois, where Governor JB Pritzker pledged to "protect his colleagues". Others went to Massachusetts or New York, also led by Democrats.

Gene Wu, leader of the Texas House Democrats, speaks in Illinois on 4/8. Photo: AFP

Gene Wu, leader of the Texas House Democrats, speaks in Illinois on 4/8. Photo: AFP

The move was intended to prevent the Texas House from voting on 4/8 on the Republican-proposed electoral map redraw. If passed, the plan would increase the Republican advantage in Texas, potentially gaining them five additional seats in the US House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.

Republicans currently hold an 88-62 majority in the 150-seat Texas House. However, the chamber cannot vote on legislation without a two-thirds quorum.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican, issued a civil arrest warrant on 4/8 demanding the Democratic lawmakers return to the state capital, Austin, for the legislative session.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of former President Donald Trump, announced the same day that he had "directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the Texas House members who have abandoned their duty to the people of Texas".

However, these orders are only enforceable within Texas, meaning the Democrats can only be arrested upon their return. Abbott also warned that a court could declare the Democrats to have "abandoned their office" and empower him to "quickly fill the vacancies".

Democrats dismissed Abbott's warnings. "I think that shows how desperate they are," Representative Ann Johnson said.

"They're threatening us with arrest warrants because we're protecting the people," Wu said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Washington on 5/2. Photo: AFP

Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Washington on 5/2. Photo: AFP

It is unclear how long the Texas Democrats will remain out of state or whether their tactic will be successful. Lawmakers previously left Texas for 38 days in 2021 to protest voting restrictions, but the bill eventually passed.

Redrawing electoral maps has long been a point of contention in the US, especially as computer-aided tools make it easier to manipulate boundaries for partisan gain. Some Democrat-controlled states, like Illinois, have also redrawn maps to their advantage.

Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters)