Texas House passes redistricting bill stalled by AWOL Democrats 

The Texas House on Wednesday passed a highly contentious, mid-decade redistricting bill – just days after dozens of Democratic lawmakers returned to Austin, ending a two-week-long effort to block the legislation backed by President Trump. 

In a 88-52 party-line vote, Republican state lawmakers approved the newly drawn congressional map, which could net the GOP up to five additional seats in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm election. 

In the partisan showdown over House Bill 4, Democrats fumed over the timing of the redistricting push and also claimed the legislation undermined minority representation, violated voting rights protections and lacked public input. 

State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D), one of several Democrats who fled to Chicago prevent the House from establishing a quorum, accused Republicans of drawing up the new map “in the cloak of darkness” and not giving the Texas Legislative Black Caucus – which she said, “potentially will lose two seats” – a “role in this process.”  

State Rep. Todd Hunter (R), the author of the bill, shot back: “You absolutely did … but you left 17 to 18 days.” 

“Now you’re getting on the microphone saying, why didn’t I involve you? Well, I wasn’t going across state lines to find you. I was here,” Hunter continued. 

“Don’t come into this body and say we didn’t include you – You left us for 18 days, and that’s wrong,” he later added. 

In defense of the legality of the effort, Hunter argued that “redistricting can be done at any point in time.”

“The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance,” he added, noting that he believes Supreme Court precedent is on his side.

Countering claims that minority Texas residents are being harmed by redistricting, Hunter noted that “four of the five new seats are hispanic majority … that’s a pretty strong message, and it’s good.” 

Of the more than 50 state Democratic lawmakers that fled the state capital earlier this month in opposition to House Bill 4, 20 were listed as absent for Wednesday’s session, however several appeared to show up before the final vote.

The Rotunda at the Texas Capitol filled up with protesters opposed to redistricting on the morning of the final vote. The gallery also had to be warned on several occasion to not applaud Democrats debating against the measure.

The Republican-controlled House shot down all 12 Democrat-proposed amendments ahead of the vote, including a bid to block the implementation of the new map until the federal government releases files related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

Democrats, in an attempt to stretch out the debate, also sought to add amendments delaying the new map from taking effect until 2028 and  linking implementation to the establishment of an independent redistricting commission and a federal court ruling that the map does not suppress minority voters.

The majority of the missing Dems returned Monday – amid threats of arrest, removal from office and after paychecks began being withheld – and were only allowed to leave the chamber after they agreed to be released into the custody of a Department of Public Safety officer, who would ensure they return for the redistricting vote. 

Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier (D) refused to sign the permission slip imposed by Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows and slept in the chamber for the two nights leading up to the vote. 

The runaway lawmakers decided to make their return after an initial special session was adjourned Friday and after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to redraw district lines in the Golden State in a bid to cancel out the Texas GOP’s new map.. 

The Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement that they would “launch the next phase in their fight against the racist gerrymander that provoked a weeks-long standoff with Governor [Greg] Abbott and President Trump.”

“Don’t delete your emails, don’t delete your text messages,” state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D) – one of several Democrats promising a legal challenge to the new map –  warned Republican lawmakers just before the vote.