U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, speaks onstage during the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 4, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Arturo Holmes / Getty Images for ESSENCE)
By Johnathan Jones July 30, 2025 at 3:21pm
Texas Democrats are again flirting with the idea of fleeing the state to stop Republicans from getting their way.
This time, the issue is redistricting, and donors are already opening their checkbooks to support the stunt.
The Texas Tribune reported that Democrats are “privately mulling their options,” including another quorum break that would leave the Texas House unable to function.
They pulled a similar maneuver in 2021, flying to Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt to stop GOP-backed election reforms.
This time around, Democrats are reportedly looking to block mid-decade redistricting.
According to The Texas Tribune, fleeing lawmakers would be fined $500 per day and face the threat of arrest, though donors are prepared to cover those costs.
“Deep-pocketed donors within the party appear ready to cover these expenses,” the outlet reported.
Campaign finance rules prohibit using campaign accounts to pay the fines, but Democrats are already plotting how to circumvent that.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, suggested lawmakers could accept donor money as income.
Should Texas Democrats be arrested if they flee the state?
One estimate put the cost of a quorum break at $1 million per month, a figure donors say they can handle.
Crockett told the outlet she did not believe the fines would hold up in court.
“I think that the first step would be to make sure that there are attorneys on deck to actually challenge the legality of these rules,” she said.
The Texas House approved the $500 per day fine in 2023 in response to the 2021 walkout.
Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has warned that Democrats who try it again could be arrested.
If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go. The people of Texas elected them to do a job, not run away and hide like cowards. Lawmakers must answer the special session call and pass the… https://t.co/sxLvZCIOB1
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) July 15, 2025
“If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go,” Paxton wrote on X.
The official added, “The people of Texas elected them to do a job, not run away and hide like cowards. Lawmakers must answer the special session call and pass the important priorities that the Governor has put forward.”
Paxton contended that Democrats in his state who are threatening to shut down the legislative process are engaging in theatrics.
He concluded, “My office stands ready to assist local, state, and federal authorities in hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office and their constituents for cheap political theater.”
Johnathan Jones is a journalist, novelist, and media analyst with experience as a reporter, editor, and producer across radio, television, and digital platforms. Follow him on X: @misterjkjones
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