They Can’t Rig What They Can’t Control

Redistricting, rebellion, and the rising fight for Texas.

There are decades where nothing happens, and weeks where decades happen. That’s what this week feels like, and we’re only on day two (this week is going through next Tuesday). I rolled out of bed yesterday morning at a somewhat respectable time and picked up my phone to be greeted with this email headline from the Texas House Democratic Caucus:

Mind you, this was before I had one drop of coffee. I thought, “Oh shit, they broke quorum.” I ran around in a circle, sprinted to my computer, flipped through my phone for missed calls, before I took a deep breath and read the entire email.

They didn’t break quorum. Some Democrats flew to California to speak with Governor Gavin Newsom, while others flew to Illinois to meet with Governor JB Pritzker. Then they planned flights home in the evening.

Here is the subsequent press conference with Gavin Newsom and the Texas Legislators:

I love them because it’s clear early on that they convinced Newsom to hold the press conference outside, even though he initially wanted it to be held inside. But he talked about the seriousness of Texas Republicans’ attempts to steal the election for Trump and how California may have three or four paths forward to gerrymander their state back, in retaliation. He didn’t mention a timeline, but made it clear that the situation was fluid.

I couldn’t find the whole conference with Democrats in Illinois, but I did find this news clip:

And the pearl-clutching blue-state liberals.

Like from this Politico article last week. Democratic consultant types fretting about California’s reputation. They’re worried this move “undermines the spirit” of fair elections or “looks too partisan.” As if anything about the current national map is fair. As if Texas Republicans didn’t just openly admit they’re drawing maps to deliver five seats to Trump. As if we’re still living in some polite democracy where everyone agrees to the rules and the worst thing that can happen is bad optics.

Too many Democrats in safe, liberal states still don’t understand what it feels like to live under fascism. They treat it like a looming possibility, not a daily reality. But some of us are already there.

Try walking into a school board meeting in rural Texas where armed men are reading Bible verses and demanding your kid’s librarian be fired.

Try simply talking about abortion care in counties where bounty hunters are emboldened by state law.

Try organizing a protest and see if DPS drones circle your apartment for the next week.

This is the fascism that’s already here. It’s rooted, and it’s growing fast in the blood-soaked soil of “states’ rights.” And California wasn’t a Confederate state. That’s the only reason some folks there still get to pretend this country is functioning normally. But those of us in the South? We never escaped that legacy. We’ve been living in its afterbirth for generations.

So no, we don’t have time to worry about California’s reputation. If red states are allowed to redraw maps at will to lock in authoritarian power, then blue states need to stop pretending they’re above the fight.

The Senate held its first virtual hearing on stealing the maps.

This particular hearing had fewer participants and lasted only three hours. Some of the best testimony came from Law Professor Ellen Katz:

And Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe:

The Senate Republicans are so cordial and even seem friendly, but I’ll tell you, because I’ve heard them say it many times. They believe it’s their constitutional duty to listen to the people express their opinions, even though they’ll still pass unpopular laws.

Listen to this exchange from 2023, when the Senators discussed how 168 people testified in favor of the DEI ban, but only six testified in favor. Of those 6, two were from out of state, and two were lobbyists. No one in Texas wanted the DEI ban, but Creighton said they were only obligated to listen to the people, not do what they want.

I’m sure they’ll be treating the redistricting issue the same.

Candidates and former candidates testified.

None of the TX18 candidates appeared at this Senate hearing. It’s my understanding that Isaiah Martin is now out of jail and the charges have been dropped.

Savant Moore, candidate for HD142, testified:

Etienne Rosas, who is launching a primary campaign against Congressman Vincente Gonzalez in TX34. Check out his website. He’s running a very progressive campaign. I haven’t added him to the list yet, but I plan to update it in the next few days. This candidate is worth checking out.

Former Congressional candidate Michelle Vallejo also testified with her new baby:

Unlike the House hearing, where there weren’t any supporters of redistricting, two supporters testified at this hearing. Let’s be nice to these young people, because they are both very young, and I don’t think either is old enough to drink.

Let’s start with this young man from Maverick County.

He said he supports redistricting because “Hispanic Republicans need representation” and that his county, which is 94% Hispanic, voted 57% Republican in the last cycle. Therefore, the maps should reflect conservative Hispanics, not just Hispanics in general.

I want to be kind, but I also want to be real. That’s not how redistricting works. That’s not how the law works. That’s not how the Voting Rights Act works. And that’s not how demographics, data, or basic common sense work.

Because the issue in the Rio Grande Valley isn’t that Democrats lost some cultural war with conservative Latinos. The problem is voter turnout. Look at the numbers.

Counties like Hidalgo, Cameron, Maverick, and Starr didn’t go red. What happened is that Democratic turnout collapsed. And when turnout collapses in places where most of the population is working-class and brown, guess who wins? The party that’s better at suppressing, distracting, and discouraging those voters.

In many of these counties, turnout rates are some of the lowest in the country. These counties aren’t red because people switched sides, they’re red because half the electorate stopped showing up.

Secondly, there is no legal mechanism for drawing districts based on whether someone is a “conservative” or “liberal” Hispanic. There’s no census question for that. You can’t gerrymander by vibes.

And then came a young Republican precinct chair from Nacogdoches County.

First, he’s not wrong that TX-17 is a mess. Pete Sessions doesn’t even live in that district. Last I heard, he was living up in Plano. He discussed “compactness” and “regional identity,” even providing some historical context to argue that Nacogdoches should be returned to TX-01, where it had belonged for thirty years.

Sounds reasonable, right?

But Ryan wasn’t testifying against gerrymandering. He’s testifying to make his gerrymander slightly more aesthetically pleasing. He’s not mad that TX-17 was drawn to benefit Republicans. He’s mad that it’s not drawn in a way that serves his particular slice of Republicans in East Texas.

So there you have it, the two people in favor of redistricting, out of the 300 that signed up to testify, over two hearings.

There are two more hearings today. Of course, the Republicans pretend to be Christian on Sundays, so we’ll have a day off, then two more hearings on Monday, and one on Tuesday. The schedule:

🚨🚨 Calls To Action 🚨 Stop Trump' Texas Takeover🚨

A massive Democratic rally with big names took place in Austin last night.

Featuring: Representative Gina Hinojosa, Representative James Talarico, Congressman Greg Casar, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Congressman Joaquin Castro, and former Congressman Beto O’Rourke. In attendance with them were 3,000 people.

I watched the entire thing, and it was really energetic.

You’re probably going to think I’m a dork, but I just love Texas Democrats. They have that fire, that spunk, that unshakable hope that makes you believe we might actually claw our way out of this mess.

They know what we’re up against. They’ve felt the ground shifting beneath them. But they still show up, loud, fearless, and real. And watching them up there, standing side by side, calling out the lies, the maps, the fascists, and the frauds? They give me so much hope.

Texas Democrats may be outgunned, outspent, and redistricted to hell, but they are not out of heart. And I’m not the only one who sees it. Why else would 3,000 people show up to a political rally 18 months before an election?

A few of my takeaways from this rally:

1. There have been rumors that Gina Hinojosa may run for Comptroller. She should totally do it!

2. The people really love Jasmine Crockett.

3. I’m pretty sure at least half of the speakers said a curse word. I told you Texans like cussing. 😋

4. A quorum break is still on the table. (Based on comments that were made.)

I want to revisit redistricting and quorum possibilities briefly.

What if Texas Republicans decide against pulling the trigger?

Hear me out, because I don’t think it’s been widely discussed. Texas Republicans are likely to receive maps from the Trump administration. What if the maps they’re handed look like a dummymander and thin out existing Republican seats? What if they take Democratic Governors’ threats seriously and decide it’s a gambel that will be unworth it in the long run?

We’ve seen stories from the mainstream media discussing how Congressional Republicans and even Abbott were hesitant about taking on the redistricting process. You have this lawsuit that Republicans just testified on about how their maps were drawn blind to race. And over the last week, we’ve seen several Republicans defend their votes on the 2021 maps.

What if, after all of these hearings and after they see the maps, they decide it’s just not worth it?

Of course, assuming they still have a brain. Trump has already endorsed all of them. What’s the worst he can do? Rescind his endorsement? His ratings are in the shitter in Texas, that might not be the worst thing?

Whatever happens next, whether they pull the trigger or not, whether California redraws or just rattles the saber, whether Democrats break quorum or keep the powder dry, one thing’s already clear:

The ground is moving.

We’re not in a normal election cycle. This isn’t normal redistricting. This is a fight for the future of democracy, wrapped in legalese and procedural bullshit. And Texans, more than most, know exactly what’s at stake.

I don’t know how this ends. I don’t know what Trump’s maps will look like, or whether Abbott will cave to the chaos or try to ride it. I don’t know if Democrats will walk, or if California’s move will trigger a domino effect that changes the whole national calculus.

But I do know people are paying attention. They’re testifying. They’re rallying. They’re organizing. They’re showing up. And if the Republicans are so sure they’ve got the numbers, why are they working so hard to keep us from voting?

They’re scared. They should be.

Because we’ve got three more days of hearings, a state full of pissed-off organizers, and 3,000 fired-up Texans who spent their Friday night chanting for democracy.

We’re not backing down, and they damn well know it.

• August 23: Last day of special session

• November 4: Constitutional/TX18/SD09 Election

• Who Will Be On The 2026 State Ballot?

• Who Will Be On The 2026 Federal Ballot?

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

LoneStarLeft is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Follow me on Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Instagram.