1:50Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu discusses the recently proposed redistricting legislation, House Bill 4, during a legislative session at the State Capitol on Aug. 20, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Texas state Representative Gene Wu, head of the Texas House Democrats who left the state earlier this month to oppose GOP-led congressional redistricting efforts, participated in a confidential strategy call Thursday with Democratic leaders from other Republican-controlled states that may also revise their district maps, ABC News has exclusively learned.
The discussion, organized by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC)—the Democratic Party’s branch dedicated to state-level elections—occurred a day after the Texas House approved a redistricting bill potentially advantageous to Republicans, possibly shifting up to five U.S. House seats in their favor.
“I didn’t anticipate finding myself in this role when I initially ran for caucus leadership,” Wu remarked to participants from states like Missouri and Indiana during the call, as captured in a recording obtained by ABC News.
Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu debates the newly introduced redistricting bill, House Bill 4, during a House session at the State Capitol on Aug. 20, 2025, in Austin, Texas.Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Texas’s decision to redraw its maps mid-decade—a process typically reserved for post-Census years—has triggered a nationwide redistricting push. GOP lawmakers in Indiana, Missouri, and Florida have publicly considered revising their own maps before the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, the DLCC has urged Democratic-led states to explore mid-cycle redistricting while assisting red-state Democrats in countering Republican-led efforts.
Wu explained that the choice to leave the state and block a quorum was not made impulsively. The move, he said, aimed to draw national attention to Republican-led redistricting tactics.
State Representative Matt Morgan displays a map of the proposed congressional redistricting plan during a Texas legislative session at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, August 20, 2025.Sergio Flores/Reuters
“We wanted America to take notice. Even if we faced defeat—like those at the Alamo—we hoped our struggle would inspire others to join the fight,” Wu said.
In GOP-controlled states like Indiana and Missouri, Democratic lawmakers lack sufficient numbers to block quorums. Still, Wu offered strategic guidance for Democrats in such scenarios.
He referenced Texas Democrats’ 2021 quorum-breaking effort over voting legislation, which collapsed due to internal divisions. This year’s success, Wu noted, resulted from stronger coordination, effective communication, and straightforward messaging.
Texas Democratic legislators take a group selfie before a House session at the State Capitol, August 20, 2025, in Austin, Texas.Sergio Flores/Reuters
“Collaborating with national organizations, aligning communications—this was key to our success. People don’t grasp redistricting, but they recognize dishonesty. Framing it as politicians rigging the system resonates,” he said.
Republicans argue that Texas’s redistricting follows legal precedent, citing Democratic-led gerrymandering in states like Illinois and California.
Wu highlighted efforts to connect redistricting to everyday concerns, such as rising costs and healthcare access, while portraying Democrats as challengers of an unfair system.
He cited initiatives like holding hearings outside the legislative calendar and symbolic actions, such as State Rep. Nicole Collier refusing to leave the House chamber, as ways to amplify their message.
State Rep. Nicole Collier speaks on the phone from the House floor after Democratic lawmakers returned to the Capitol in Austin, Texas, August 18, 2025, following their temporary departure to block Republican redistricting plans.Gene Wu via Reuters
“I essentially became her production assistant for 48 hours, managing her interviews and nagging her about timing,” Wu quipped about assisting Collier.
ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel and Rachael Dziaba provided additional reporting for this story.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
