January 1, Texas Democrats Skip State To Block Vote

Wyatt’s Take

• Lone Star Democrats are running from their duties to block a Republican House vote
• The new redistricting map could give the GOP as many as 5 extra seats
• Left-wing leaders keep crying ‘rigged,’ but this is just democracy working

Democrat lawmakers from Texas packed their bags and left the state, heading up to Chicago. Their big idea? Skip town so the Texas House can’t vote on a new congressional map.

This map could give Republicans a real boost—up to 5 more seats in the U.S. House, right when the country needs common sense back in Washington. With the midterms coming, the stakes are sky high, and folks know that Texas could tip the balance.

Their plan is to hole up and hold a news conference alongside Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, of all people. Instead of staying and doing the job they were elected for, these Democrats would rather run and grandstand with another big blue state leader.

Of course, leaving the state to block a vote has real risks for these lawmakers. The Associated Press says they could face steep fines or other penalties, but that doesn’t seem to bother them.

The DNC’s Ken Martin put out a long statement backing up this stunt. He said, “For too long, Donald Trump and Republicans have tried to get away with rigging the system, breaking the rules, and scheming to hold onto power. It’s time to fight back. Republicans are going after people’s health care, jobs, and pocketbooks while wrecking the economy to protect or enrich a handful of elites — and then they think they can get away with it by rigging the maps to overrule the will of voters.” He doubled down, saying the DNC is “proud to support these legislators in standing up and showing real leadership.” He finished with, “We will fight alongside them to stop this anti-democratic assault. And, after this fight is done, we’re coming full force for the Republicans’ House majority.”

Here’s what’s clear: Democrats claim this is about defending democracy, but leaving your job so you can’t lose a vote isn’t very democratic. The folks back home deserve better than politicians who skip out when the going gets tough.

Wyatt Matters

When elected officials walk out to dodge a vote, they’re not standing up for the people—they’re running away from real responsibility. Middle America gets up every morning and does the job, rain or shine, because that’s what real leadership looks like. Our system works best when everyone shows up, faces the music, and lets the people’s voice decide. That’s the American way.

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