How Texas Democrats’ walkout has launched a fight across the US over political maps

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A weeklong walkout by Texas House Democrats is blocking redrawn congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump and put in motion a broadening fight across the U.S. over redistricting.

Related: Utah lawmakers stand with Texas Democrats against GOP redistricting effort

There is still no swift end in sight to the standoff that has scattered dozens of Texas Democrats to Illinois, New York and California, where they have been given a warm reception by blue state governors and national party leaders.

As the holdout has dragged on, Texas Republicans have ratcheted up the pressure to try compelling them back. GOP state leaders have asked courts to remove absent Democratic lawmakers from office, issued civil arrest warrants and mobilized state troopers.

It is a political fight that has now spanned in state legislatures across the nation — from California to Florida — as Trump seeks to gain more winnable U.S. House seats and preserve the GOP’s slim majority after the 2026 midterm elections.

Here’s what to know.

How the Texas walkout began

On Aug. 3, Texas House Democrats fled to Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to stop the GOP-controlled state legislature from passing new U.S. House maps that would give Texas Republicans more winnable seats in 2026.

The chamber needs at least 100 of its 150 members to do businesses. The Democratic Party has taken advantage of this by orchestrating the majority of its 62 members to remain outside the state.

On Friday, there were 95 members present — five short of a quorum.

Congressional maps are typically redrawn once every 10 years to coincide with population shifts captured by the census and is rare for it to occur in the middle of the decade. Democrats say the unusual mid-cycle redistricting is a partisan power grab by the Trump administration

What other states are doing

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is scrambling to call for a November special election to ask voters to redraw the state’s maps in retaliation if Texas proceeds. Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and JB Pritzker of Illinois have also said they would consider partisan redistricting.

Republicans are considering their own countereffort, too. In Florida, the speaker of the house said the chamber will take up this issue in a special redistricting committee this fall, and Vice President JD Vance met with Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Braun to discuss redistricting.

How Texas Republicans are trying to punish Democrats

Texas Democrats face fines of up to $500 each day they are absent from the chamber, a rule that was adopted after the party walked in 2021 over a bill that tightened voting restrictions.

Abbott asked the state Supreme Court to vacate the office of the House Democratic leader. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked the court to remove 13 members who walked out from office, on top of issuing civil arrest warrants.

Democratic lawmakers have largely scoffed at threats of their arrests and attempts to remove them from office.

The special session ends on Aug. 19. The governor has threatened to keep calling lawmakers into special sessions until Democrats return.

What is at stake

For Trump, gaining additional Republican-leaning districts can help him potentially avoid a repeat of the 2018 midterms, when Democrats reclaimed the U.S. House and proceeded to thwart his agenda and impeach him twice.

Republicans currently hold 219 seats, and Democrats have 212. Four seats are vacant.

Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats and are seeking to pick up five more.

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Lathan is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.