Texas Democrats to return home after first special session on redistricting ends: Report

Texas House Democrats are expected to return home after the state chamber wraps its first special session that would approve its redistricting map, sources told ABC News on Tuesday.

Dozens of Texas state House Democrats fled their state last week to deny Republicans the quorum it needed to approve the map, which would give them five additional pickup opportunities. 

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Tuesday that the chamber will conclude its first special session on Friday if the state Democrats don't return before then, but Abbott will immediately call for a second session to convene after the first concludes.

If enough state Democrats do return for a session before Friday, the chamber is expected to pass the redistricting bill because Republicans, who have the majority, will have the quorum needed to vote on the map.

It is not clear exactly when the state lawmakers will return, or whether they all plan to return at once, but one source told ABC that they loosely plan to return over the weekend. 

The state Democrats believe they accomplished their goal of killing the first special session and raising awareness of the redistricting effort, the outlet reported. But Abbott has promised to continue calling for special sessions until the map is passed.

The Texas state Senate approved the redistricting map earlier Tuesday.

Democratic governors in California and New York have weighed redrawing their own congressional maps to help offset the potential GOP pick-ups in Texas, but Abbott claimed many blue states, including California, are already gerrymandered.

“Look at the map of Illinois. Look at the map of California, New York and Massachusetts, and so many other blue states they gerrymandered a long time ago," Abbott told CNN Monday. "They got nothing left with regard to what they can do.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.