Gov. Greg Abbott’s special legislative session is set to begin in Austin on July 21. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / LoneStarMike

In response to President Trump’s call for redistricting ahead of what could be a disastrous midterm election for Republicans, Texas House Democrats are considering a walkout of Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session of the Texas Legislature, the New York Times reports.

It’s also likely some that Texas Republicans also feel ambivalent towards Trump’s demands since it could make their comfortably red districts more competitive, one political expert told the Current.

During a Monday phone call between congressional Democrats and Texas House Democrats, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, described the Texas’ upcoming special session, set to begin July 21, as a “all-hands-on-deck” moment that would require “extraordinary actions” to block Trump’s plans to win more Texas seats, the Times reports.

Trump reportedly wants to pick up five additional seats in the Lone Star State.

Despite Jeffries’ call to action, unnamed sources on the call told the Times that leaders didn’t directly call for a walkout, but rather, left the impression one should be considered.

San Antonio Democrat lawmakers U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and Texas House Rep. Diego Bernal did not immediately respond to the Current’s request for comment. State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer declined to comment.

Southern Methodist University Professor Cal Jillson told the Current he wouldn’t be surprised if Texas House Democrats pulled just such a maneuver, considering the present political climate. Still, the outcome of Democratic walkouts four years ago suggest this effort ultimately will be in vain, he added.

Texas House Democrats walked out of a 2021 special legislative session in a bid to block Senate Bill 7, which overhauled the state’s election laws and made it harder for marginalized groups to cast ballots.

“The 2021 walkouts ended up being futile,” Jillson said. “The quorums were eventually restored, and the Republicans passed their bills. So, I would assume that would be the outcome this time as well in this special legislative session.”

Further, the 2021 walkout resulted in the Republican-controlled Texas Lege implementing a $500-per-day fine on House members who are absent without approval and violate quorum rules.

At least 100 of the Texas House’s 150 members must be present for quorum, meaning Texas Democrats would only need 51 of their 62 members to sign up for the plan to prevent lawmakers from moving ahead on a redistricting plan.

Republican House lawmakers also may be wary of Trump’s redistricting plans, Jillson said.

“That’s because some Republicans worry that their very comfortable reelection margins will be thinned out by taking some conservatives out of their district and putting them in a Democrat-leaning district,” Jillson said. “No incumbent wants his district to be more competitive. So, given that 2026 is likely to be a decent, perhaps even good year for Democrats, Republican incumbents are leery of having their districts more competitive.”

Other than redistricting, Abbott’s agenda for the 30-day legislative session includes passing legislation on improving flood warning systems and creating regulations for the state’s hemp industry, among other items.

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This article appears in Jul 10-23, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...