Critics of Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott, including Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom, say Abbott and the Texas GOP used a special session — about emergency disaster aid after the deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas — to redistrict the state and “cheat their way into more Congressional seats,” in Newsom’s words. (Texas Republicans could gain an additional five seats through redistricting.)
In an effort to combat the Texas redistricting plan, Texas House Democrats are trying to “deny quorum” by not showing up for the special session, thereby rendering the proceedings of that session invalid.
[NOTE: More than 50 Democrats left the state Sunday afternoon, stripping the legislature of the requisite number of “lawmakers needed to consider and pass legislation under chamber rules,” the Texas Tribune reports.]
Democratic Texas State Rep. Ann Johnson (District 134) reported from an airport tarmac today: “I’m asking everybody to remember that quorum break is a tool that the founding fathers of Texas put in place when the minority party knows that the majority has gone off the rails and is doing something against the interest and will of the voters.”
They’re willing to break the law to cling to power.
We’re willing to break quorum to protect it.
We don’t stand by. We stand up. pic.twitter.com/QeYVjc3LXB
— Ann Johnson (@VoteAnnJohnson) August 3, 2025
Johnson spoke directly to the voters in the video: “Thousands of you have come out to say you do not want your seat stolen by Trump. The big ugly bill passed by one vote, one vote, he is afraid of you going to the polls in November of 2026.
“He has asked Governor Abbott to break the rules and get him five new Republican seats. You all spoke up in Austin. They pushed it, they put it on the floor. So please know that this extraordinary step of a quorum break is so that your voices can be heard. If they’re not going to be heard here in Texas, then we are breaking quorum to go to the nation and say, this is it. You must stop Trump’s takeover.”
UPDATE: Governor @GregAbbott_TX just threatened to REMOVE THE DEMS FROM THEIR SEATS if they don’t return by 3pm Monday (so Republicans can steal 5 seats in Congress using a special session about the flooding as cover) — and charge them with FELONIES. pic.twitter.com/x2qulxtury
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) August 4, 2025
Governor Abbott released a statement on Sunday (above) warning Democrats about such a quorum break.
Abbott wrote: “Real Texans do not run from a fight,” and ordered all “derelict Democrat House members” to return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes on Monday at 3 pm. If they fail to do so, Abbott said he will “remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House.” (The legality of such a maneuver is not clear, experts say.)
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also running for U.S. Senate, vowed recently in the event of a quorum revolt that he would “hunt down” and arrest Democrats “no matter where they go.”