Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) is taking a hardline stance against Democrat lawmakers who fled the state in a desperate attempt to block GOP-led congressional redistricting. The Democrats, refusing to accept the will of the voters, absconded to Illinois to break quorum and prevent a special legislative session from proceeding—a blatant dereliction of duty. Abbott, however, is not backing down, warning that these runaway legislators could lose their seats and even face felony charges for their brazen obstruction.
“Real Texans do not run from a fight,” Abbott declared. “But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. 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.”
This isn’t the first time Texas Democrats have pulled such a stunt. In 2021, they similarly fled to Washington, D.C., to avoid voting on election integrity laws—proving yet again that the left would rather shut down democracy than lose a political battle. But Abbott is making it clear that this time, there will be consequences.
“These absences are not merely unintended and unavoidable interruptions in public service,” Abbott stated. “Instead, these absences were premeditated for an illegitimate purpose—what one representative called ‘breaking quorum.'”
The governor cited Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382, which allows for the removal of legislators who abandon their duties. “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,” Abbott warned.
Furthermore, Abbott raised the possibility of criminal charges, noting that some Democrats are “soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules.” Such actions could constitute bribery under Texas law. “I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons,” he added.
While the liberal media paints these Democrats as heroes “fighting for democracy,” the truth is they are subverting it. Their refusal to participate in the legislative process is an insult to Texas voters who elected them to do their jobs. Instead of engaging in debate, they chose cowardice—running away rather than facing a vote they knew they would lose.
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
This is the same leftist playbook we’ve seen nationwide: when they can’t win democratically, they resort to obstruction, lawlessness, and media manipulation. But under strong Republican leadership—from Governor Abbott to President Donald Trump—such tactics will not stand. Trump, a staunch defender of election integrity and constitutional governance, has long warned of the left’s willingness to undermine democracy when it suits them.