Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) is taking a hardline stance against Democrat lawmakers who fled the state in a brazen attempt to block Republican-led congressional redistricting efforts. The Democrats, who abruptly left Texas for Illinois, sought to break quorum and prevent a special legislative session from moving forward—a move that would secure five additional GOP House seats. This isn’t the first time Texas Democrats have pulled such a stunt; in 2021, they similarly fled to Washington, D.C., to obstruct election integrity laws. But this time, Abbott isn’t backing down.
“Real Texans do not run from a fight,” Abbott declared in a scathing statement. “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.”
The governor made it clear that this was no innocent absence but a “premeditated” scheme to derail legislative proceedings. “Democrats hatched a deliberate plan not to show up for work, for the specific purpose of abdicating the duties of their office and thwarting the chamber’s business,” he said. “That amounts to an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”
Abbott warned that under Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382, he has the authority to remove lawmakers who abandon their posts, declaring, “For any member who fails to [return], I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House.” The opinion states that legislators who intentionally break quorum may be deemed to have vacated their seats, opening the door for Abbott to appoint replacements.
But the consequences could go even further. Abbott suggested that some Democrats may have committed felonies by soliciting funds to evade fines for their dereliction of duty. “Any Democrat who ‘solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept’ such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws,” he warned, citing Texas Penal Code § 36.02. He also vowed to use his extradition powers to bring any potential out-of-state lawbreakers back to Texas to face justice.
While the liberal media rushes to paint these runaway Democrats as courageous underdogs standing against so-called “voter suppression,” the reality is far different. This is nothing more than a desperate ploy to avoid fair elections and maintain power at all costs. Their actions undermine democracy by refusing to participate in the legislative process, proving once again that the left only respects democracy when it serves their agenda.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has praised Abbott’s strong leadership, reaffirming the need for bold, decisive action to protect election integrity. “The Democrats are terrified of fair maps because they know they can’t win without cheating,” Trump said in a recent statement. “Governor Abbott is doing exactly what’s needed to stop their games.”
It seems to me that the only way some of the fleeing Democrats can avoid bribery charges is to not break quorum.
It seems that would eliminate any potential quid pro quo connected to any payment they received to deny a quorum and skip a vote. https://t.co/eyTbgybLvW
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 4, 2025
As the battle over redistricting heats up, one thing is clear: Texas Republicans won’t be bullied into surrender. The Democrats’ latest stunt only highlights their willingness to sabotage democracy rather than face the will of the voters.
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal
