Texas Democrats are running—again. Not from bad policy, not from a tough election, but from their jobs. Instead of facing debate and doing the work Texans elected them to do, they’ve fled the state to block a redistricting vote they don’t like. And Governor Greg Abbott is having none of it.
This isn’t the first time Democrats have tried this stunt. In 2021, they jetted off to D.C. to avoid a vote on election integrity, sipping wine on private planes while the rest of Texas rolled its eyes. Now, they’re back at it, ducking responsibility because Republicans are on the verge of delivering a redistricting map that could expand conservative representation by five congressional seats—and maybe more.
Governor Abbott’s message is clear: keep running, and we’ll just keep winning.
“What I’m thinking now is that if they don’t start showing up, I may start expanding,” Abbott said in a preview of the “Ruthless” podcast. “We may make it six or seven or eight new seats we’re going to be adding on the Republican side.”
That’s how you deal with political cowards—by turning their obstruction into an opportunity.
Let’s be clear: redistricting is a constitutional duty carried out after every census. It’s not optional. It’s not a power grab. It’s the process of adjusting representation based on population shifts. And in a state like Texas, which continues to grow rapidly, that means more congressional seats. Republicans, who hold the legislative majority, have every right—and responsibility—to draw those maps.
But the Left doesn’t like playing by the rules unless they make them. They cry “gerrymandering” anytime a Republican wins, but they’re dead silent when Democrats carve up states like Illinois, New York, and California into Franken-districts so bizarre even Stephen Colbert had to mock them on national TV.
“Americans have now realized how gerrymandered all these blue states are,” Abbott said. “They now see that map in Illinois, they’ve seen the map in New York, they see that 40% of the people in Massachusetts voted for President Trump, and yet there are zero Republican congressional districts there.”
That’s not representative democracy—it’s political engineering. And the Democrats love it when it works in their favor.
In fact, the entire national conversation around gerrymandering has been a one-sided joke. When Republicans redraw lines, it’s called “voter suppression.” When Democrats do it, it’s “protecting democracy.” But Americans are waking up to the hypocrisy, and it’s only fueling the red wave that’s been building since President Trump took back the White House.
Abbott isn’t just talking tough. He’s taking real action. He’s already working to have the absent Democrats removed from office. That’s the kind of leadership conservatives are hungry for—accountability, not appeasement.
“How embarrassing is that?” Abbott said. “That’s something that school kids do, you know, ‘I’m losing the game! I’m just gonna walk away and leave.’ That’s not the way adults operate. It’s not the way that employees operate. But know this, Texans, that’s the way your Texas Democrats operate.”
Exactly right. These aren’t principled protests. They’re tantrums. And Texans are sick of it. Every time Democrats flee the Capitol instead of facing the music, they remind voters why they’re losing ground in a state that’s becoming redder by the day.
The message from Governor Abbott is simple: show up and do your job, or we’ll make sure your absence costs you even more political power. That’s not just good politics—it’s good governance.
While the media wrings its hands over the supposed “threat to democracy,” what’s really happening is democracy in action. The people of Texas elected a Republican majority to represent their values. That majority has the right to pass maps that reflect the state’s conservative tilt. Democrats can whine all they want, but they can’t run from the truth forever.
Sooner or later, they’ll have to come home. And when they do, they’ll find a stronger, more determined Republican Party waiting to finish the job.
