Tipsheet

So, That's Why Texas Dems Finally Surrendered on the New Congressional Map

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  August 19, 2025 6:50 AM

Texas Democrats have finally returned. Despite vowing to remain out of state to prevent a quorum in the legislature regarding this recent spat over redistricting, the showdown only lasted two weeks (via The Guardian):

Texas Democrats returned to their state on Monday as California lawmakers kicked off a rapid push for voters to approve a new congressional map that could add as many as five Democratic seats in the US House. 

The Texas Democrats’ return ends a two-week walkout that stalled the Republican effort to redraw the state’s congressional districts to satisfy Donald Trump’s demands to reshape the US House map in his favor ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

The California plan was drafted in response to Texas’s push to redraw the congressional map there. On Friday, Texas’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, called a second special session after Democrats remained out of the state for two weeks, denying Republicans a quorum to conduct legislative business. 

The Democrats said last week they would return once California moved ahead with its counter-proposal, all but ensuring that Texas’s new maps will pass.

Arrest warrants were issued for these derelict members, and the FBI was given the green light to assist local and state law enforcement in hunting them down. The messaging war was lost from the get-go, with numerous media outlets framing this move as a stunt. Almost everyone viewed these lawmakers as fleeing the state—the ‘we’re fighting’ narrative Democrats hoped to spread never resonated. No one cares. The Texas Senate easily passed the new map that might give Republicans five extra seats.  

Also, California’s new maps are worthless. Democrats are still set to get put through the wood chipper if a redistricting war breaks out. So, please, go for it. We’ve already won:

For now, the new Texas map will be official soon.