Texas Democrats end walkout as GOP-controlled legislature prepares to vote on redistricting maps that could flip five congressional seats to Republicans

Abbott called a second special session after the House again failed to reach a quorum amid a Democratic walkout over a GOP-favored redistricting plan.

More than 50 Democrats left the state on Aug. 4 in a quorum-breaking move to stop congressional redistricting by stalling official business in the House.

New York Times columnist David Brooks compared Trump's Texas redistricting efforts to 'mustard gas' on democracy, criticizing both parties' gerrymandering tactics.

After Democrats returned to the Texas statehouse, Republican leadership assigned law enforcement officers to monitor them to prevent further delays to their plan to redraw congressional voting districts to favor Republicans ahead of the election.

"When we return, we will be ready to fight this map with every weapon available - from the streets to the statehouse to the courthouse," said Rep. Ramón Romero Jr., a Fort Worth Democrat who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus said in a Monday statement.

The blistering Texas summer is usually a time when candidates announce their campaigns and begin raising money for the election year ahead. This Texas summer has been cooler than normal, and so has the announcement period for some of the high-profile 2026 races.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a second special legislative session on Friday, hiking pressure on Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to stymie Republican plans to redraw political maps at the behest of U.