Barack Obama meets with AWOL Texas Democrats amid redistricting drama

Former President Barack Obama praised a gaggle of democratic legislators in Texas to flee their state to cease a vote on a invoice for redistributing and referred to as their actions ‘inspiring’, mentioned reporting.

Texas State Rep. Gene Wu, who’s chairman of the Texas Home Democratic Caucus, positioned X on Thursday and thanked the previous president for assembly the legislators through Zoom.

Wu mentioned that the Democrats have been “inspired” by the phrases of Obama and “stay related to battle for democracy, in Texas and all through the nation.”

ABC News Reported that an Obama spokesperson confirmed the assembly and mentioned that he “praised their wrestle in opposition to Republican efforts to hold out an much more severe into Texas in Texas for the mid -terms.”

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Former President Barack Obama praised a gaggle of democratic legislators in Texas to flee their state to cease a vote on a invoice for redistributing and referred to as their actions ‘inspiring’, mentioned reporting. (Getty Pictures and Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures)

The spokesperson mentioned the outlet that Obama “made it clear that they’re a part of a higher effort to guard free and trustworthy elections and praised them for uplifting others with their actions.”

This comes within the midst of a steady deadlock between the Republicans and Democrats of Texas about an try supported by President Donald Trump to correctly approve a invoice for the redistribution that the GOP would in all probability give 5 further convention seats. Greater than 50 democratic members of the Texas Home of Representatives fled the State to disclaim the legislative energy the quorum wanted to just accept the invoice.

In response, the Republican leaders of Texas have set authorized steps to pressure AWOL legislators to return and have additionally threatened to take away them from his workplace in the event that they proceed to refuse to take part within the legislative course of.

Texas Home Democrats launched an announcement on Thursday during which they introduced that they may solely return to the state if the legislative energy agrees to fulfill one another with out plans or if California introduces its personal redistribution laws to “neutralize” the GOP seats in Texas.

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JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois, left, and state consultant Gene Wu, a Democrat from Texas, throughout a press convention on the Dupage County Workplace occasion in Carol Stream, Illinois, on Sunday 3 August 2025.

Obama has beforehand expressed solidarity with the Texas Democrats and mentioned in a publish of 5 August: “We can’t lose the deal with what’s vital – in the intervening time the Republicans in Texas try to have grymander district strains to win unfair 5 seats within the interim elections of subsequent 12 months. This can be a energy of our Democracy that our Democracy that’s our democracy that” “” “” “

Wu informed ABC Information that the Democrats have been “particularly enthusiastic” to let Obama enchantment to them by way of Zoom.

“President Obama speaking to us and supporting us is proof that when the home of Texas Democrats comes up and combating, we’re not alone – we’ve the help of Democrats at each degree that perceive that when republicans assault voting rights in Texas, they assault the premise of our democracy all over the place,” Wu mentioned the outlet.

He mentioned that the assembly was held by way of Zoom due to ‘Republican threats’.

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Gavin Newsom authorities presents its revised state price range 2025-2026 throughout a press convention in Sacramento, California, 14 Could 2025. (AP Picture/Wealthy Pedroncelli, File)

“The truth that we’ve to fulfill President Obama from an unknown location and through Zoom due to Republican threats and supervision solely proves how determined Abbott and his extremist allies have develop into,” mentioned Wu. “They know that their racial gerrymenders schedule is falling aside, so that they resort to intimidation techniques. However the help of President Obama reveals that your entire nation is watching – and Texas Home Democrats is not going to be silent by bullies.”

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On Thursday, the Californian Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom introduced plans to stop the Texas Redistricting Plan by urging to have his state once more signal his districts to remove the Republican seats.

In response, Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, returned that if California eliminates all his Republican districts, Texas must do the identical factor, which would go away the Gop with a internet win.

Paul Steinhauser of Fox Information Digital has contributed to this report.