Texas Democrats Criticized for Fleeing to Illinois to Avoid Redistricting Vote

Texas Democratic lawmakers faced widespread criticism after a photo emerged of them boarding a private plane to Chicago, in an apparent effort to avoid a vote on redistricting measures in the Texas House. Approximately 50 Democrats left the state over the weekend to prevent the Republican-controlled chamber from reaching a quorum, effectively stalling the GOP's plans to redraw district boundaries and potentially gain five seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Representative Sheryl Cole posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "I’m heading to Chicago right now to stop this rigged-redistricting process. We can’t allow Donald Trump and Greg Abbott to steal power from the people with these proposed congressional maps. We are continuing to hold the line, no matter what." The move drew sharp criticism from political commentators and observers, including some on the left. CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski questioned the PR strategy behind the decision, tweeting, "Was there nobody on the PR side who was like maybe we shouldn’t go to one of the most corrupt gerrymandered states in the country?" Former NBC political director Chuck Todd also commented on CNN, criticizing the optics of the Democrats' d...