OAN Staff Blake Wolf and Brooke Mallory
4:53 PM – Monday, August 4, 2025
Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott announced on Monday that he has ordered state police to arrest all Democrat state lawmakers who fled the state to block a vote reshaping the congressional maps.
At least 51 Texas Democrat lawmakers fled the state—traveling to Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts—to deny a two-thirds quorum under House rules (100 of 150 members required) and delay passage of a mid‑decade GOP redistricting plan that could add as many as five Republican congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
While a full roster of all those who left hasn’t been publicly released, several lawmakers and caucus leaders were named in surfacing reports.
- House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu (D‑Houston).
- Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, vice chair of the House Redistricting Committee, was identified as part of the group traveling to Illinois.
- State Rep. Jolanda Jones (D‑Houston) publicly supported the strategy and confirmed her participation, stating, “respectfully … he’s making up some sh*t” — referring to Republican threats to arrest absent members.
- State Rep. John Bucy III (D‑Austin) said Abbott’s efforts to “scare Democrats” would not succeed.
Texas lawmakers are unable to pass bills in the 150-member House without at least two-thirds of the members being present.
The special session remains stalled. This blocks not only the GOP redistricting vote but also critical legislation like flood relief, anti-human trafficking measures, and restrictions on abortion pills.
Josh Rush Nisenson, a Texas Democrat Caucus spokesperson, admitted that the walkout was a deliberate tactic, as enough Democrat legislators traveled out of state to prevent the GOP-backed congressional map vote from proceeding.
Abbott shamed the Democrat members soon after, highlighting how their stunt inhibits flood victims from receiving much needed aid — while also declaring that the lefty lawmakers have abandoned their “duty to their fellow Texans.”
“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans,” Abbott stated. “By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty.”
“Speaker Dustin Burrows just issued a call of the Texas House and issued warrants to compel members to return to the chamber. To ensure compliance, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans. This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol,” he added.
House Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu (D-Texas) declined to reveal how long they plan on staying outside of Texas.
“We will do whatever it takes. What that looks like, we don’t know,” Wu stated on Sunday.
Adding more fuel to the fire, Governor JB Pritzker (D-Ill.) also announced on Sunday that he is welcoming all Texas Democrats to come stay in his state if need be. He promised to make sure “they have the ability to stay as long as they need to and want to.”
“Texas Democrats were left with no choice but to leave their home state to block a vote from taking place and protect their constituents. This is a righteous act of courage,” Pritzker added.
The duration of the Texas state Democrats’ absence from the state remains uncertain. However, they are incurring a daily fine of $500 for each day they fail to report for legislative duties.
Civil arrest warrants have also been issued by Legislature Speaker Dustin Burrows to compel the absentees to return, though they are enforceable only within Texas.
Abbott has ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate and arrest in‑state absentee legislators and has threatened removal from office for those who don’t return by the set deadline. The current special session ends August 19th —after which, Abbott may call additional sessions to attempt passage again.
Additionally, if enough Democrats return, whether voluntarily or through political pressure, the quorum can be restored, and the House may revive its legislative agenda.
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