Texas Democrats have once again fled the state — not in the face of danger or persecution, but to block a vote they know they’ll lose.
This time, they’re trying to derail a redistricting plan that would likely establish five more Republican districts . Rather than face the debate, they bolted. Gov. Greg Abbott responded by ordering the Texas Rangers to investigate the absent legislators for potential violations of state law, including bribery.
Voters should recognize that these performative walkouts have nothing to do with democracy or the rule of law. They’re tantrums — undemocratic and unaccountable.
This isn’t a new tactic for Democrats in Texas. In 2003, they fled to a motel in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to block another redistricting vote. Eleven Senate Democrats later fled to Ne