The Texas Legislature kicked off a series of hearings Thursday focused on a rare mid-decade push by top Republicans to redraw the maps for the state鈥檚 congressional districts.
Ahead of the meeting of the Texas House鈥檚 Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting, Democratic elected officials and advocacy groups rallied outside the state Capitol.
Their aim? To stop what they call by President Trump.
鈥淒onald Trump is scared,鈥� Congressman Greg Casar of Austin told the crowd at Thursday鈥檚 鈥淔ight the Trump Takeover鈥� rally.
Casar is among several high-profile Democratic lawmakers who believe to the state鈥檚 already packed special session agenda is designed to keep Republicans 鈥� and, in turn, the president 鈥� in control of the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Casar believes that Democrats would win control of the U.S. House next year if congressional maps remain as they are today 鈥� something that could stall Trump鈥檚 agenda during the last half of his term.
鈥淒onald Trump has no plan of winning the next elections. He wants to rig them before we even get a chance to vote,鈥� said Casar.
How did we get here?
The move toward Texas considering redistricting outside of the usual ten-year cycle the U.S. Department of Justice sent to Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month.
In it, the DOJ states that four congressional districts in Texas 鈥渃urrently constitute unconstitutional "coalition districts.鈥� The letter, dated July 7, further directed Abbott to 鈥渞ectify these race-based considerations from these specific districts.鈥�
In response, to his official call for Texas鈥� current special session, which began on Monday. President Trump he鈥檚 hoping Republicans could pick up as many as five new seats in the U.S. House with newly drawn maps.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 redistricting. It鈥檚 rigging,鈥� said Mia Balderas with , an advocacy group focused on building the political power of young Texans.
She told the crowd of about 200 on Thursday that Texans deserve fair maps drawn with people 鈥� not power 鈥� in mind.
鈥淲e will not let Trump take over,鈥� Balderas said.
Texas House lawmakers hear testimony on redistricting
The House鈥檚 Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting convened at 2 p.m. on Thursday and heard public comment well into the night. Of the dozens of people who testified before lawmakers in the first six hours, not one said they wanted the state to redraw its congressional districts.
But several had very serious concerns about what redrawing the maps would do.
Gary Bledsoe, President of the NAACP of Texas, said the efforts reminds him of a darker moment in America鈥檚 own history.
鈥淎t this nation's founding, the Constitution enshrined the three-fifths compromise, counting black people as only three-fifths of a human being for the purpose of legislative representation,鈥� Bledsoe said. 鈥淏ut while our bodies were counted to inflate the power of slave-holding states such as Texas, we had no vote. No real voice and absolutely no ability to shape who represented us 鈥� even at that sub-human level.鈥�
To Bledsoe, redrawing Texas鈥� maps would put the state back in a similar situation.
鈥淭he DOJ letter to Governor Abbott specifically targets three of the four districts where African-American voters are able to elect their candidate of choice directly, and one Latino district where Latinos are able to elect the candidate of course directly,鈥� Bledsoe said.
Other speakers shared similar sentiments, while some expressed disappointment the Texas Legislature was spending time on the issue at all.
鈥淚 am dismayed that the legislative session is not focused on 鈥� first and foremost 鈥� flood relief and infrastructure for preventing devastation and loss of life in the future,鈥� Robin Peeples testified.
In Texas, special legislative sessions can last no more than 30 days 鈥� and lawmakers have several other high-profile issues on the docket.
Still others said Texas鈥� current congressional maps are already drawn in a way that unfairly skews representation in favor of Republicans.
Democrats weigh walkout to block GOP redistricting push
The actual influence Democratic lawmakers could have over the redistricting process is limited given over the Texas Legislature.
The minority party doesn鈥檛 have enough votes to stop the attempt. But Democrats do have enough members to break quorum 鈥� as in, not showing up and stalling movement at the Capitol.
Breaking quorum requires one-third, or 50 house members, to not be present on the House Floor. During that time, no votes can be taken on bills. Democrats currently hold 62 seats in the Texas House. That means if 50 of them can agree to leave, the chamber could be brought to a standstill.
Austin Rep. Gina Hinojosa says she is ready to do just that.
"With my colleagues I am prepared to break quorum when the time has come,鈥� she said at Thursday鈥檚 rally.
Since before Texas鈥� special legislative session started on Monday, Hinojosa and fellow Texas Democrats they believe the session鈥檚 focus should first be on flood relief for the Hill Country.
But since Republicans are in control of both chambers of the Texas Legislature, they could choose to bring up a redistricting bill first on the House Floor. That would put Democrats in a tough situation: Walking out before passing bills that would help victims of the deadly July 4 floods would look bad politically.
Former Congressman Beto O鈥橰ourke of El Paso also joined the rally. He said Democrats shouldn鈥檛 be held liable for not passing flood-related bills.
鈥淭he party that decides what is most important are the Republicans who have a majority,鈥� O鈥橰ourke said at the rally.
鈥淚f the flooding is important, let's get to it right now. You have our full attention. We will support that.鈥� But, he added, if Republicans 鈥渨ant to play games with it in order to maximize your political power 鈥� to deny the voters of Texas a free and fair election 鈥� we're not buying it.鈥�
