Rising Democratic star leads Texas exodus over voting maps dispute
Texas Democrats fled their state to block Republicans from redrawing congressional district maps, with State Rep. James Talarico vowing to face arrest and steep daily fines rather than allow what he called an unprecedented mid-decade power grab.
"We didn't make this decision lightly," Talarico told ABC News from Illinois, where he and other Democratic lawmakers fled to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass the controversial redistricting bill. "We knew there would be retaliation from the likes of Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton."
Under Texas state law, the lawmakers faced fines of $500 every day Republicans attempt to go into session and fail to reach a quorum. The stakes were both personal and political for Talarico, who has recently emerged as a rising star in the Democratic Party following a viral appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, where the host urged him to consider a presidential run.
"I make $600 a month as a state legislator in Texas, that's before taxes," Talarico told ABC News, explaining he maintains a day job to make ends meet. "I've said I'm willing to pay for those fines myself."
The unusual timing of the redistricting effort was at the heart of Democrats' objections.
"Republicans in Texas did that [redistricting] in 2021 when they were supposed to, and we didn't break quorum," Talarico said. "But what's happening now is different. Trump is asking them to redraw those Texas maps in the middle of a decade to get him five more seats."
The proposed congressional map, backed by Trump, could create up to five new Republican seats and potentially help Republicans maintain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections.
While Republicans accused Democrats of abandoning other crucial legislation, including flood assistance for recent disaster victims, Talarico strongly pushed back.
"This is a Republican talking point," he told ABC News. "We begged our Republican colleagues to prioritize flood victims and their families, and they refused."
For Talarico, who has been traveling the state amid speculation about a possible U.S. Senate bid, the principle was worth the price.
"We're here in the Land of Lincoln, which is appropriate, because Abraham Lincoln broke quorum as a state senator in 1840," he said. "I am participating, along with my colleagues, in a long American tradition of standing up to bullies, of civil disobedience, of good trouble."
