Rogue Texas Democrats Forced to Surrender as GOP Redistricting Triumphs

The Texas House on Wednesday passed a new congressional map expected to deliver Republicans five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, marking a decisive blow to the Democrat-led quorum-breaking stunt that paralyzed the legislature for weeks.

All 88 Republican House members voted in favor of the map, which now heads to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk for final approval. The passage comes after Texas Democrats were forced to abandon their prolonged protest and return to the state Capitol, having racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for their coordinated walkout.

The rogue lawmakers had fled the state in a bid to block Republicans from voting on redistricting. But the boycott ultimately collapsed under mounting pressure and escalating penalties, including new rules passed Monday that required absentee Democrats to obtain passes to leave the House chamber and assigned Texas Department of Public Safety officers to track their movements.

Some Democrat members tried to dramatize their return by staging overnight sit-ins inside the chamber. State Rep. Nicole Collier garnered attention when former Vice President Kamala Harris personally called to praise her defiance, telling her, “You are among those who history will reveal to have been heroes of this moment.”

Democrats quickly posted the call online, drawing ridicule from Republicans.

GOP Rep. Brian Harrison tore into the theatrics during a Fox News interview. “These crocodile tears and bad, bad kabuki theater coming from the Democrats right now is just pathetic,” Harrison said. “Quite frankly, my fourth grader’s production of Shrek last year had better acting.”

Harrison also pointed out the blatant double standard. “Democrats have been redrawing maps for political gain in state after state for decades. The only reason they’re objecting now is because Republican states are finally turning the tables.”

Meanwhile, Democratic governors in several blue states have suggested retaliatory gerrymandering to offset GOP gains in states like Texas.

With the new congressional map nearly finalized, Republicans are poised to strengthen their majority in the U.S. House, while Texas Democrats are left reeling from a failed rebellion that cost them credibility, cash—and control.