Progressives In Texas Take a Stand Against Trump and Abbott's Gerrymandering by Heading to Illinois

Texas state Democratic lawmakers are poised for confrontation with Governor Greg Abbott after they departed to Illinois, seeking to thwart Republicans and Donald Trump’s efforts to gerrymander the state’s congressional districting, which could provide Republicans with an additional five seats in the 2026 mid-term elections.Their exodus prevents Republicans from achieving a quorum necessary for voting on this contentious redistricting strategy aimed at expanding their narrow majority in the U.S. House, where Republicans currently hold 219 seats to the Democrats' 212. Democrats have stated their intention to remain outside Texas for two weeks.In response, Abbott has threatened to remove these elected officials. He asserted that the Democrats’ absence signifies an abandonment of their responsibilities, threatening action to remove them if they do not return by Monday at 3 PM.Gene Wu, chairman of the Texas Democratic caucus, countered, emphasizing that the walkout aims to challenge a corrupt system rather than evade their duties. Wu further criticized Abbott's alignment with Trump, pledging to protect their community's integrity amidst concerns over potential punitive measures. (YouTube Screenshots)