2:29Texas Democratic state Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. addresses the media during a press conference organized by Texas Democratic lawmakers after their departure from the state to obstruct Republicans from achieving the necessary quorum to redraw Texas’ 38 congressional districts, in Aurora, Ill., Aug. 5, 2025. Tom Krawczyk/Reuters
Since Sunday, Texas Democratic lawmakers have been engaged in a confrontation with state Republicans and Governor Greg Abbott. The governor has threatened to remove and replace the representatives for leaving the state to block the redrawing of Texas congressional maps.
However, this isn’t the first instance in which lawmakers have vacated the Texas State Capitol to evade voting on a proposal they opposed, “breaking quorum” by denying the statehouse sufficient legislators to conduct its affairs. This tactic has been in use since 1870 — over 150 years ago.
Texas state legislators last broke quorum in 2021 when Democratic house representatives departed Texas to thwart measures that limited voting options. Ultimately, the measures were enacted after internal Democratic divisions led to enough representatives returning to establish a quorum.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott participates in a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump, first responders, and local officials at Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, Texas, during a tour to assess flood damage, Friday, July 11, 2025.Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The legislators initially delayed the election bill during the regular session through a last-minute walkout. Following Abbott’s call for a special session, 57 Democrats fled to Washington, D.C., prompting Republicans to issue a “call of the House,” a procedure requiring legislators to attend the statehouse and permitting the sergeant-at-arms to apprehend members within Texas and escort them there.
When state representative Philip Cortez made a brief return to Austin in late July before rejoining the other quorum-breakers out of state, then-House Speaker Dade Phelan signed a civil warrant for his arrest. However, by that time, Cortez was outside the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement.
Democrats successfully ran out the clock on the first special session but could not prevent members from returning to Texas when Abbott called a second.
While a state district judge issued a temporary restraining order to block Abbott and Phelan from arresting the Democrats, the Texas Supreme Court swiftly overturned that order, enabling Phelan to sign warrants for the 52 remaining absent Democrats. Nonetheless, law enforcement did not actually apprehend or detain any of the legislators.
Lawmakers began to return to the state capital gradually, citing various personal and legislative issues, including the imminent redistricting process that required maps to be approved before November that year. Ultimately, the House achieved quorum, concluding the 38-day walkout and allowing the bill to advance.
The Texas Capitol is visible on August 04, 2025, in Austin, Texas.Brandon Bell/Getty Images
State Rep. James Talarico posted on X at the time that he had returned to “address Greg Abbott’s latest issues from COVID to ERCOT [the Electric Reliability Council of Texas].”
Some Democrats who stayed in Washington expressed dissatisfaction. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, then a state representative, accused the returning legislators of “attempting to appease the Governor and His OPPRESSIVE Agenda.”
Apart from the financial burden, lawmakers encountered few repercussions upon their return to the state, aside from then-Speaker Phelan removing state Rep. Joe Moody from his position as speaker pro tempore. Current House Speaker Dustin Burrows reinstated Moody in 2025.
In 2021, Democrats did not incur the $500-a-day fine, a penalty that was only instituted in 2023 to discourage future quorum breaks.
The Texas Tribune reported that Democrats incurred approximately $10,000 daily on lodging and meals during the walkout, funded by the House Democratic Caucus, additional fundraising surrounding the quorum break, and out of the lawmakers’ own pockets. Powered by People, supported by former U.S. Rep and Texas Senate and gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rour
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
