House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is praising Texas Democrats for refusing to vote on a Republican-led redistricting plan that could shift five congressional seats to the GOP, a move that involved fleeing the state to break quorum. His comments come amid a broader effort by Democrats to delegitimize Republican-led election reforms while advancing their own partisan maps in deep blue states.
“Democrats in the Texas state legislature have righteously refused to vote on a gerrymandered congressional map that is designed to rig the midterm elections for House Republicans,” Jeffries wrote in a statement shared on X. “The courage, conviction and character Texas Democrats are displaying is the embodiment of good trouble as we collectively push back against the extremism Donald Trump has unleashed on the American people. We have their backs.”
The remarks come after Texas House Democrats reportedly fled to Illinois to break quorum and prevent a vote on a redrawn congressional map.
In July, Jeffries told MSNBC he trusted elections in states with Democratic leadership, saying, “I’d be far more concerned… if we were looking at a situation where the fate of the House would be determined in states where Republicans are in charge.”
Later that month, when pressed on whether Democrats were engaging in the same tactics they accuse Republicans of, Jeffries didn’t flinch. “Let me just simply say the maps in New York are not as fair as they could be,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju. Jeffries was also challenged on whether that made Democrats guilty of the same mid-decade redistricting he condemned in Texas, but he emphasized that Democrats in New York, California, and New Jersey were working to make maps “as fair as possible.” The contrast underscores Jeffries’ position that redistricting by Republicans is ‘rigging the election,’ while Democrat-led map changes are framed as efforts to ensure fairness.
The situation in Texas has escalated into a full-blown standoff. The Democrat walkout broke quorum, paralyzing the state legislature and halting a scheduled vote on the redistricting plan. In a statement, Texas House Democrats accused Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Republican leadership of using the recent Hill Country floods, which resulted in the deaths of over 130 Texans, as “political cover” to push through a map they say was drawn to flip five congressional districts in favor of the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton slammed the lawmakers for abandoning their responsibilities. “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately,” Paxton posted.
The redistricting bill, authored by State Rep. Todd Hunter (R), includes “newly drawn districts now trend Republican in political performance,” but noted that “it doesn’t guarantee electoral success.” He continued, “That’s up to the candidates, but it does allow Republican candidates the opportunity to compete in these districts.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) blasted the proposed map, stating during a legislative hearing that it would place her outside of her own district, saying, “I do not currently reside in my district based upon the plan that has been drawn, which is another red flag.” In a follow-up video, she added, “It is a hot mess, and it is so sad that these people have no integrity and could care less about doing what’s right.”
