Abbott issues ultimatum as Texas Democrats break quorum in redistricting fight

CHICAGO - Texas Democrats have reportedly fled to Chicago to stop any further progress on congressional redistricting for the state.

Gov. Greg Abbott says he will look to remove the lawmakers from office if they have not returned by the time the House reconvenes on Monday afternoon.

Texas Democrats break quorum over redistricting

What we know:

According to statements from multiple Democrats, they fled the state in order to break the two-thirds quorum requirement for the Texas Legislature to conduct business.

The break is in response to the process of redistricting congressional lines for Texas. The first draft of the congressional map was approved on Saturday by a Texas House committee.

By leaving the state, Democrats are looking to block Republicans from the needed quorum to hold votes on the map set for Monday. 

Illinois Governor offers support to Texas Democrats

Dig deeper:

Democrats have been strongly opposed to the process, claiming it was an attempt at gerrymandering led by President Donald Trump. In mid-July, the president said he expects Republicans to gain five seats in Texas.

A large chunk of Texas Democrats are heading to Illinois, where Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker had been in quiet talks with them for weeks about offering support if they chose to leave the state to break quorum.

Statements from the Democrats say the special legislative session was supposed to focus on the deadly July flooding in Central Texas, but the focus shifted to redistricting.

The Texas House has rules to fine lawmakers $500 each day they break a quorum. 

What they're saying:

After Gov. Greg Abbott issued the lawmakers a deadline to return, the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued the following statement: "Come and take it."

The following quotes are excerpted from Democrats' statements:

• State Rep. Ann Johnson (Houston) - "We’ve reached a line I won’t cross. Abbott’s map is a direct assault on our constitution. If we’re not willing to put ourselves in the way of that, we shouldn’t be here."
• State Rep. Gina Hinojosa (central Travis County) - "We should be in Austin right now, working to support grieving communities devastated by the July 4th floods that took more than 135 of our fellow Texans – many of them families and children. That’s what Texans deserve in the wake of a horrific tragedy."
• State Rep. James Talarico (Travis County) - "We’re not just fighting for Democrats — we’re fighting for Independents and Republicans too. Because in a democracy, voters are supposed to choose their politicians — not the other way around."
• Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder - "Your right to representation in your government is under attack, and Texas Democrats will protect your rights through any means necessary. We’re backing our Democratic lawmakers who are fighting against Trump’s Texas Takeover nationwide."

Gov. Abbott issues deadline

Local perspective:

Governor Abbott issued a statement outlining the legal consequences that House Democrat members face for breaking quorum, following the conclusion of the Texas Democrat press conference in Chicago on Sunday night.

"Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business."

Abbott issued a deadline for Texas Democrats to return to the state and attend the special session.

"The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House."

Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows said the chamber would still meet as planned on Monday afternoon.

"If a quorum is not present then, to borrow the recent talking points from some of my Democrat colleagues, all options will be on the table," said Burrows.

In mid-July, GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton had said previously that if Democrats break quorum, "they should be found and arrested no matter where they go."

Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382

Big picture view:

Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382, issued in 2021, addresses whether a Texas legislator can be considered to have abandoned their office, thereby creating a vacancy, if they intentionally break a quorum.

The opinion concluded that while a vacancy may occur by abandonment of office, whether a specific legislator has done so is a "fact question for a court" to decide. It further states that a district court can, through a "quo warranto" action, determine that a legislator has forfeited their office due to abandonment and remove them, thereby creating a vacancy.

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