Former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke did not hold back when discussing Texas Republicans’ efforts to establish a new redistricting map that would disenfranchise millions of non-white voters.
“These individuals are panicking right now,” O’Rourke stated during an interview in New Orleans on Friday for Netroots Nation, a non-profit organization for progressive activism.
O’Rourke was referring to the Republicans’ efforts to apprehend dozens of House Democrat lawmakers who fled the state to prevent House Republicans from having a quorum to manipulate district lines.
According to the proposed map, former President Donald Trump would gain five more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas before the 2026 midterms. The new map would also strip voting power from Latino and Black voters.
“You are aware that Trump requested Greg Abbott, our governor, to provide him with five congressional seats in Texas,” O’Rourke explained. “And in cahoots, he and the Republican state legislature have been diligently dividing the state. They were supposed to vote on these five new districts on Monday, but thanks to Texas Democrats. Fifty-four of them left the state, broke quorum, said ‘To hell with that,’ and defied Donald Trump, thwarting this power grab in the state of Texas.”
Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked the FBI on Tuesday to assist Abbott (R) in locating and apprehending House Democrats who left the state. Abbott has also threatened to push for even more GOP-leaning congressional seats if Democrats persist in obstructing the redistricting effort.
State Representative Vince Perez (D-El Paso), one of the many lawmakers who left the state, informed JS that the new redistricting plan would allocate Latino voters ― who exceed 11 million in the state ― only one-third of the political power of a white resident.
“This is undeniably a racially motivated map that I believe all Americans would find abhorrent if they truly examined the specifics,” Perez stated.
Amidst threats of arrest, lawmakers have also been subjected to threats of violence. Earlier this week, a group of Texas lawmakers had to evacuate their Chicago hotel due to a bomb threat.
O’Rourke has also become a target of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who announced on Friday that he is suing O’Rourke for using his political group, Powered by People, to raise funds to cover expenses for Democrats who left the state.
O’Rourke emphasized the need for Democrats to push back.
“They are wagering that our side will surrender and give up, that we are the old Democratic party that was more inclined towards concession and compromise,” O’Rourke stated on Friday.
He accused “older Democratic leaders” of “bowing down and yielding to these individuals.”
“Instead of saying ‘To hell with that, we’re going to oppose you vigorously,'” O’Rourke declared. “Whatever it takes to ensure that we are resolutely focused on halting [Republicans’] power grab and ensuring that we secure power ourselves.
“We will not allow Ken Paxton to frighten us, intimidate us,” he added. “The nation wants to witness a battle.”
