Democrats Who Fled Texas To Block The Gop's Redistricting Plan Weigh Their Exit Strategy

With Texas expected to extremity its first typical legislative convention Friday and instantly statesman a caller one, nan dozens of Democratic legislators who fled nan authorities to artifact Republicans’ redistricting connection are hammering retired a scheme for their return home.

Texas Democrats met precocious into nan nighttime Tuesday past again Wednesday, including breaking into smaller groups, to talk their adjacent steps and what their eventual exit strategy looked for illustration aft spending nan past 10 days retired of nan state, according to 4 sources adjacent to nan discussions.

But those sources said nan lawmakers do not yet person afloat statement connected an exit plan. “It’s difficult to get folks connected nan aforesaid page,” said 1 of nan sources, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly astir soul statement strategy.

Still, location does look to beryllium statement connected 1 constituent — nan Democrats won’t travel backmost to Austin until Republicans officially bring nan first typical convention to a close. They’re opening to picture their expertise to artifact Republicans from passing their caller representation that could nett nan statement arsenic galore arsenic 5 seats successful nan U.S. House during nan first typical convention arsenic impervious of victory.

Republican leaders successful Texas person promised to telephone “special convention aft typical session,” and they request conscionable a fistful of Democrats to relent successful bid to execute a quorum truthful they tin move guardant pinch their redistricting plan. In a motion of Democrats’ constricted option, nan GOP-led authorities Senate was still capable to walk nan scheme this week because Senate Democrats couldn’t get their full 11-member delegation to break quorum.

So while it appears apt Democrats will win successful delaying nan process capable to unit a 2nd typical session, location is an acknowledgement among nan caucus that their protestation will request to travel to an extremity immoderate constituent soon.

“From nan get go, they knew they were ne'er going to enactment retired of Texas forever. People didn’t expect them to. The extremity that nan smartest among them group was: We request to bring nationalist attraction to this rumor truthful different states are fresh to antagonistic if Republicans really do this,” 1 adjutant to a Texas House Democrat breaking quorum told NBC News.

“They’ve done that. That’s arsenic overmuch arsenic anyone could expect — they are a number successful a legislature, but nan full state turned their attraction to this issue. And nan truth that California and New York are now considering redrawing their maps [in consequence to Texas] is simply a win,” continued nan aide.

The adjutant added that while it’s “hard” to onslaught a victorious connection if Republicans yet enact nan caller maps, arsenic expected, it’s incumbent connected Democrats crossed nan state to thrust nan constituent home.

“This is simply a communications battle. When you’re successful nan minority, what you person is simply a bullhorn and an expertise to tie attraction to issues. Eventually, nan mostly will vote. That’s democracy,” nan adjutant said.

More than 50 Texas Democratic lawmakers person been out of nan authorities since nan opening of August, depriving authorities Republicans of nan minimum number of lawmakers needed to see legislation. Republicans person been clear that their scheme is strictly astir politics.

State Sen. Phil King, a Fort Worth-area Republican who helms nan chamber’s typical redistricting committee, said Tuesday earlier nan Senate passed nan scheme that while his first nonsubjective for a caller representation is “that it beryllium legal, nan 2nd nonsubjective is to support a scheme that, simply put, elects much Republicans to nan U.S. Congress.”

President Donald Trump has been likewise blunt, telling CNBC past week that his statement is “entitled to 5 much seats.”

Democrats person pointed to those comments to warrant their determination to abscond, arguing that nan scheme is simply a naked powerfulness drawback that will besides harm nan practice of number communities.

As nan quorum break has stretched on, lawmakers and their aides person begun to telegraph that they’re considering an disconnected ramp — and mounting nan shape for what a triumph thigh mightiness look like. The authorities House Democratic delegation released a statement Tuesday that lacked specifics, but acknowledged an exit scheme is being discussed.

A caller connection Wednesday revealed really Democrats are defining victory: “In keeping pinch our original committedness to Texans, nan First Called Special convention will ne'er make quorum again,” authorities Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Wu declared, earlier applauding really “blue states nationwide are mobilized and fresh to enactment if Abbott moves forward.”

“Texas House Democrats will rumor our demands for a 2nd typical convention connected Friday. Abbott tin take to govern for Texas families, aliases he tin support serving Trump and look nan consequences we’ve unleashed nationwide,” Wu added.

Republicans person pointed retired that nan authorities legislature has not been capable to see immoderate authorities without capable Democrats present, including a alleviation package for nan July 4 floods extracurricular of San Antonio that killed 130 people.

“Every hr you stay distant is clip stolen from those Texans successful need. Each 1 of you knows that yet you will travel back, and we will walk nan priorities of nan typical session,” House Speaker Dustin Burrows said past Friday. “But pinch each passing day, nan governmental costs of your absence is rising, and it will beryllium paid successful full.”

But Democrats person criticized Republicans for prioritizing nan redistricting legislation. They reason that GOP Gov. Greg Abbott could narrowly attraction a typical convention connected flood alleviation earlier turning to redistricting aliases could moreover return action unilaterally.

Texas Democratic strategist Luke Warford told NBC News successful an question and reply soon earlier nan quorum break began that nan existent measurement of occurrence for Democrats will beryllium astir forcing Republicans to salary governmental consequences since they are successful power of nan legislature.

“The occupation of Democrats is to show nan communicative to group astir what is happening, astir really craven nan Republican actions are, and astir really they are trying to rig nan system,” said Warford, who started a group called nan Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund to thief money nan party’s ecosystem successful nan state.

“Our occupation present is to slow things down, and make it hurt, and to show nan communicative to Texas voters,” he added.