Texas state lawmakers board a bus following a press convention on the DuPage County Democratic Get together headquarters on August 03, 2025 in Carol Stream, Sick. The group of Democratic lawmakers left the state earlier at present so a quorum couldn’t be reached throughout a particular session referred to as to redistrict the state.
Scott Olson/Getty Photographs
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Scott Olson/Getty Photographs
Greater than 50 Texas Democratic lawmakers left the state on Sunday, in an effort to dam the passage of a controversial new redistricting map that may fulfill President Trump’s need so as to add as much as 5 extra Republican congressional seats within the U.S. Home.
The transfer known as “breaking quorum.” The Texas Home requires 100 members current to conduct enterprise, however solely has 88 Republicans. It wants Democrats within the room, even when it would not want their votes, in an effort to enact the brand new map.
“Should you’re the minority celebration, and you’ll’t block any laws, one nuclear possibility you at all times have is to stroll out, thereby stopping the legislature from participating in any exercise and significantly passing laws,” explains Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice College.
By leaving the state for liberal strongholds comparable to Illinois and New York, dozens of Democrats are bringing the physique to a standstill — a minimum of for now. It is not clear how lengthy they will be capable of steer clear of their private and monetary obligations, particularly since Texas’ part-time legislative calendar implies that many lawmakers maintain second jobs.
The Texas legislature is at present in a 30-day particular session to think about the proposed map, amongst different particular agenda gadgets. And whereas the session is slated to finish on Aug. 19, Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to name particular periods at any level, in perpetuity.
“That is usually a really efficient technique to delay laws and shine a highlight on that laws,” Jones says. “But it surely’s not an efficient technique to really block the laws, as a result of Gov. Abbott can hold calling the Texas legislature again in particular session for month after month after month, and that may require these legislators to stay out of state.”
Texas has seen numerous lawmaker walkouts, as way back as 1870 and as lately as 2021, when Democrats left the state to protest Republican efforts to overtake voting guidelines. After practically 5 weeks, a number of lawmakers returned dwelling, permitting for a vote, and the invoice handed.
Different states, together with Oregon, Indiana and Minnesota, have additionally seen legislative walkouts lately, with blended outcomes.
Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor on the College of Houston, says that whereas quorum breaks was once comparatively uncommon, they’re taking place extra usually as partisanship will increase, in Texas and past.
“Within the final couple of years, it is turn out to be clear that Texas politics is only a reflection of nationwide politics,” he says. “The form of polarization we see, the sorts of points which might be developing, the ways in which the members are appearing and the best way the governor is appearing is all actually in line with what nationwide politics is doing.”
How have earlier walkouts performed out?
Earlier walkouts nationwide have centered on hot-button points comparable to redistricting, abortion and voting rights.
“The occasions the place we see these breaks are occasions when it feels just like the political course of is completely intractable,” Rottinghaus says. “One aspect seems like they’re merely not getting the eye or with the ability to take part within the course of the best way that they need, so that they merely choose up their marbles and go away the sport.”
In January, after weeks of preventing over handle an equally divided chamber, 66 Minnesota Democrats walked off the ground on the primary day of their legislative session.
The Democratic aspect of the Minnesota Home chamber was empty throughout a weeks-long walkout in January 2025.
Steve Karnowski/AP
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Steve Karnowski/AP
They managed to dam Republicans from electing a speaker and conducting enterprise for 3 weeks, throughout which the Minnesota Supreme Court docket formally set the usual for a quorum at 68 members — bringing lawmakers to the negotiating desk. Democrats returned to the ground after the 2 events reached a power-sharing settlement in February.
In 2023, Oregon Republicans walked out for six weeks – the longest one out of many within the state’s historical past – over proposed measures defending abortion rights, gun laws and gender-affirming care.
It ended with what Republicans thought of a victory: Democrats filed new variations of the payments with softer language in sure provisions. But it surely got here at knowledgeable value. The Republicans violated a 2022 voter-approved measure banning lawmakers from reelection if they’ve greater than 10 unexcused absences — and the state senators who walked out had been blocked from operating once more.
And Texas additionally has seen its share of walkouts. In Could 2003, greater than 50 Home Democrats left the state to protest a Republican-backed redistricting plan — just like the present walkout. They spent every week at a Vacation Inn in Oklahoma, stalling till they missed the legislative deadline for the invoice.
But it surely wasn’t an entire success. Then-Gov. Rick Perry referred to as a collection of particular periods, throughout which much more Democrats left. He additionally despatched legislation enforcement after the Democrats, so far as state strains. After a month, one Democrat returned dwelling, restoring the quorum, and the redistricting invoice handed within the third particular session.
Texas state Rep. Pete Gallego speaks on the steps of the state Capitol after Texas Democrats returned from a week-long walkout over a redistricting invoice in 2003.
Robert Daemmrich Pictures Inc/Sygma through Getty Photographs
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Robert Daemmrich Pictures Inc/Sygma through Getty Photographs
What are the results of strolling out?
The Texas lawmakers who walked out in 2003 and 2021 did not face any actual sanctions afterward, by Home management or by voters, says Jones.
This time round, Texas Lawyer Normal Ken Paxton and different Republican lawmakers have referred to as for the Democrats who left the state to be arrested after they return.
Abbott has additionally threatened to take away them from workplace, citing a authorized opinion Paxton wrote in 2021, the final time Texas Democrats broke quorum. And whereas efforts to take away the lawmakers would possible face authorized challenges, another penalties are inevitable.
Jones says that, after 2021, the Texas Home modified its guidelines so as to add a $500-a-day wonderful for each day different lawmakers had been out of labor. And Rottinghaus says that they probably may lose different issues, comparable to their workplace budgets and parking spots.
Past that, Rottinghaus says, lawmaker walkouts are inclined to exacerbate tensions between the 2 events, as has been the case in Texas.
“It occurred within the Nineteen Seventies and there have been some laborious emotions, however by the point it occurred within the 2000s, it was bloodsport.” he mentioned. “And due to the growing stakes, it has come to the purpose the place either side are on the lookout for vengeance. That is not a fantastic place to be politically.”
What are the professionals of strolling out?
If walkouts do not often work — and may probably backfire — why do lawmakers proceed to make use of them as a tactic?
“The Democrats’ greatest hope from that is to shine a vivid mild on what is occurring in Texas because of a few of these nationwide forces,” Rottinghaus says, referring to the stress Trump placed on Texas Republicans to redraw its map.
It has sparked considerations that different states may comply with swimsuit, transforming their congressional maps extra usually than the everyday 10-year intervals in an effort to give one celebration a political benefit. That will violate not solely longstanding norms, but additionally probably provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that purpose to stop minority vote dilution, says Jones.
“If Texas is profitable on this effort of decreasing the flexibility of African Individuals and Latinos to elect candidates of their selection … that may counsel that the identical could be potential in different states, say, Florida or Missouri,” Jones says.
Texas Democrats hope their efforts will compel Republicans to make modifications to the redistricting course of, both permitting extra time for his or her enter and even adjusting the map itself. Even when that does not work, Rottinghaus says, attending to make their case to a nationwide viewers has its personal advantages.
For instance, Democratic leaders in states like New York, California and Illinois have welcomed the Texas Democrats and brought up their trigger — suggesting that they could reply with some mid-cycle redistricting efforts of their very own, even when it takes years.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker mentioned at a Sunday press convention that “all the pieces needs to be on the desk,” whereas New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed on Monday to “do all the pieces in our energy to cease this brazen assault.” New York could not have the pliability different states do, although. Due to its state structure, each lawmakers and voters must weigh in, and that would take years.
“Heroes can be constructed from this motion,” Rottinghaus says. “This can actually make a number of careers and perhaps be a form of focus for the way Democrats nationally may take a stand. In order that’s, I feel, what they’re hoping for.”
