Democrats Remember How to Fight

Texas Democrats didn’t march to their own political slaughter. They stood their ground.

Let’s take a rare and satisfying moment to do something I don’t often get to do: praise the Democratic Party for showing some spine, some smarts, and a willingness to play the damn game like they intend to win it.

Yes, I’m talking about Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have morphed into the authoritarian Batman and Robin of the opera-buffa MAGA roadshow. Their latest plot? A mid-cycle redistricting grab so nakedly cynical it would make 1960s Jim Crow fans blush.

It all began with a July 7 Department of Justice letter from Civil Rights chief Harmeet Dhillon, warning that four congressional “coalition districts” (the 9th, 18th, 29th, and 33rd) are unconstitutional under the Voting Rights Act. I have it on good authority that the letter came because of an initiative from the White House; e.g., folks like Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles decided they wanted a cheat code to give Texas an excuse to gerrymander a fix for Trump’s political troubles. That letter became legal cover for Abbott to call a special session to redraw maps ahead of 2026.

Then came the crescendo: When Democratic legislators fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum, Abbott didn’t moan over empty chambers; he called for civil arrest and demanded the Texas Department of Public Safety bring them back. Rumors flew that the Texas Rangers might investigate them for bribery. He threatened to remove them from their seats. It was all bluster and bullshit, so … very much on-brand for Texas.

But the headline-stealer was Senator John Cornyn’s shocking move to involve the federal government. He asked FBI Director Kash Patel to “assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats.” Patel said yes, with Cornyn thanking Trump and the bureau for backing the hunt … even though FBI spokespersons declined to confirm any details. Remember when the GOP was all about states’ rights? Pepperidge Farm remembers.