"As goes Texas, so goes the nation. As goes the nation, so goes the world." Yet again, we find all of Texas at the center of a high-stakes showdown that could reshape the political future of the entire country. It is the great Texas showdown, and it's a big one, as the Lone Star State seeks to push forward with redistricting its congressional map. The efforts, following a call from President Trump, seek to pick up five Republican congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
But, as always, the left has taken to every late show and street corner to cry out that this is the end of cemocracy as we know it. Also, as always, Democrats' outrage is nothing but theatrical posturing. Gerrymandering, after all, is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Democrat who signed off on twisted maps in 1812 to benefit his party. It's the left's go-to playbook. The howling you hear is their default reaction anytime conservatives play by the same rules.
In a desperate bid to stall progress, over 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state last week, denying the chamber a quorum and halting business. This isn't noble resistance as their members claim on their Instagram stories and X feeds. It's sabotage, funded by outside money that Attorney General Ken Paxton has slammed as "Beto bribes." Former gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke was in the process of bankrolling their exodus. Still, Paxton swiftly secured a court order blocking it, calling it an illegal payoff to derelict lawmakers and cutting off their support as the bribery investigation unfolds.
And the story gets even worse for the Democrats, who still believe their press is calling them the saviors of cemocracy. In the most ironic move imaginable, they've sought refuge in Illinois, which happens to be one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. There, Democrats control 14 of 17 congressional seats (82%), despite garnering only about 56% of the statewide House vote in 2024. This blatant distortion packs Republicans into minimal districts, diluting conservative voices. But Illinois is just the tip of the iceberg. A long list of blue states shows even worse ratios, where Republicans command significant voter support but are starved of proportional representation due to leftist map-rigging:
California: Republicans earned 38% of the House vote but hold only 9 of 52 seats (17%). Democrats, with 62%, claim 43 seats (83%).
New York: GOP vote share hit 44%, yet they secured just 7 of 26 seats (27%). Democrats, at 56%, took 19 seats (73%).
Maryland: Republicans pulled 35% but won only 1 of 8 seats (13%). Democrats, with 65%, hold 7 (88%).
Massachusetts: GOP support reached 30%, but they got zero of 9 seats (0%). Democrats swept all with 70%.
New Jersey: Republicans garnered 40% yet hold 3 of 12 seats (25%). Democrats, at 60%, control 9 (75%).
New Mexico: GOP vote was 42%, but zero seats out of 3 (0%). Democrats took all with 58%.
In contrast, Texas Republicans hold 25 of 38 seats (66%) or roughly 58% of the vote—a far fairer alignment. If gerrymandering is the crime Democrats decry, why do their states exhibit the most egregious examples?
It is simple. The Democrats do not care about democracy. This is the party that stuffed their presidential nominee in a closet and did not hold a primary. The one that shoved Bernie off the ticket the cycle before that, and the one before that, too. This is the party with congressional districts that snake across entire states. They do not care about what's right. They care about power.
And this issue expands far beyond Texas. It's about righting a historical wrong nationally. Through aggressive gerrymandering, Democrats have maintained undue competitiveness or dominance in Congress for decades. Combine this with the scandal of the botched 2020 census, which counted illegal immigrants fully, inflating blue-state populations and granting them extra House seats and electoral votes. This modern perversion echoes the infamous Three-Fifths Compromise, where Southern slave states, all Democrat-aligned, counted enslaved people as three-fifths for apportionment to boost their power, while denying them rights and humanity in their lives. Today's Democrats similarly exploit non-citizens for political gain, caring not for justice but for raw power. The census distortions cost red states like Texas fair representation, shifting seats to liberal enclaves, and thus the country to the left.
But while Democrats hide in donors' mansions in Illinois, business is stalled. This is not even the first time Texas Democrats have pulled this stunt; they fled in 2021 to block election integrity reforms, only to return empty-handed, which leads to the obvious conclusion that the map will eventually pass. For his part, Governor Greg Abbott has pledged endless special sessions until it does. But their political theater is grinding Texas to a halt, costing taxpayers millions.
The most interesting recent development is Texas AG Ken Paxton fighting back, filing a lawsuit Friday with the Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) to declare 13 abandoned Democrat seats vacant, including House Democratic leader Gene Wu. Under the Texas Constitution, neglecting duties warrants removal, and SCOTX should rule swiftly in favor of our conservative AG and the people. Paxton's action, building on Abbott's earlier petition, sends a clear message: Elected officials can't shirk responsibilities without consequences. The House Speaker should follow suit and strip them of chairmanships, seniority, and committees.
Texas can strike back and do an excellent service to the country by fighting until it wins. This could net the GOP those five seats and help to rebalance the scales. We must do everything to strip these obstructionist Democrats of power—arrest them, vacate their seats, and hold special elections if needed. The right can't afford complacency; it's time to fight. We have the advantage, but we must not relent or give in to the left's demands.
