Texas Democratic lawmaker Jasmine Crockett has spoken out about the importance of being “aggressive” to win political battles like the fight over redistricting taking place in Texas.
At an event in Phoenix, Arizona, hosted by progressive advocacy group MoveOn, Crockett spoke out after Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas on Sunday in an effort to stop a redistricting vote that would create a new Republican-approved congressional map.
Why It Matters
Republicans have slim majorities in Congress and traditionally, voters lean toward the party not in the White House in midterm elections. Therefore, Republicans are under pressure ahead of November 2026.
Republicans have sought to redraw the districting map to bolster their chances in the upcoming election. It was thought the new map would give the party the opportunity to gain five seats in the midterms. But their political scheme was thwarted when more than 51 Texas Democrats traveled to Chicago to stop the vote, causing anger from critics and praise from political allies who accused Republicans of gerrymandering and voter suppression. Votes can only take place in the Texas legislature when two-thirds of the 150 members are present.
What To Know
When asked about her vision for the future of politics, Crockett said it was important to ” be aggressive” to win political battles with the Republican Party.
“I do want to be aggressive, because we’re going to have to be aggressive because some of the things that have been broken such as some of our trade agreements, they may not come back,” she said.
She added that the U.S. “needs guardrails around the Supreme Court” to stop it from propping up President Donald Trump and to stop situations like those occurring in Texas and improve voting access.
“I’m aggressive,” she added. “So for me, I don’t serve in the Senate, but I would get rid of the filibuster if it means that we can for voting rights because we don’t get rights to repro. We don’t get rights to healthcare. We don’t get rights to education. We don’t get any other rights if we don’t have the ability to access the ballot box. So those are the things that I would do. I would get aggressive on the Supreme Court and I would get aggressive about making sure that we equalize this thing so that we can all access the ballot box.”
She added that she was “so inspired” by Texas Democrats.
“Right before I got over here, my former colleagues from the Texas House, those Texas Democrats, decided to get the hell out of Texas,” she said. “They decided to use whatever tools they could and breaking quorum is where they are at right now. And they didn’t just do it by themselves. They went to Illinois where there is a governor that gives a damn. You see, this fight is going to take all of us.”
What People Are Saying
Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened in a letter to remove Democrats from the state’s House of Representatives if they do not return by Monday afternoon: “Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did…rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law.”
Texas state Representative Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, in a statement: “This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity. We’re not walking out on our responsibilities; we’re walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent.”
What Happens Next
The Texas House cannot advance the redistricting bill or other legislative agenda items so long as Democrats deny quorum by staying out of state. Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton have indicated their intent to pursue civil penalties and possible arrests of absent Democrats.
Meanwhile, redistricting issues are also brewing in other states. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a dispute over redistricting in Louisiana, and earlier this year overturned a lower court decision that ruled South Carolina’s congressional map was unconstitutional.
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