Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) has taken the controversial step of publicly offering sanctuary to a group of Texas Democrats who fled their state to obstruct the Republican-led redistricting process—an act many view as a dereliction of duty.

“They’re here in Illinois. We’re going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them and make sure that — ’cause we know they’re doing the right thing, we know that they’re following the law,” Pritzker declared at a Sunday night press conference, standing shoulder to shoulder with the fleeing lawmakers, *The Hill* reported.

Pritzker then made the baseless claim, “It’s Ken Paxton who doesn’t follow the law. It’s the leaders of Texas who are attempting not to follow the law. They’re the ones that need to be held accountable.”

This latest Democrat grandstanding followed the calculated move by Texas Democrats to abandon their state during a special legislative session called by Governor Greg Abbott (R). The purpose of the session: to finalize a congressional redistricting map aimed at securing fair representation and reinforcing conservative gains—backed strongly by President Donald Trump ahead of the critical 2026 midterms.

With Republican majorities in both chambers and control of the governor’s office, the proposed map—already advanced by a Texas House panel—stands a strong chance of passing. But instead of engaging in debate or voting on behalf of their constituents, roughly 50 Texas Democrats chose to flee the state, flying to Democrat strongholds like Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts to deliberately break quorum.

Abbott, refusing to allow obstruction to substitute for governance, is exploring legal options to return order and accountability. His office, along with other Republican leaders, is weighing measures to compel the lawmakers’ return or trigger their removal from office.

In the meantime, the fleeing lawmakers are racking up \$500 daily fines and risk arrest for evading their legislative duties. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, taking to X (formerly Twitter), was direct in his assessment: “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.”

This stunt isn’t new. Texas Democrats employed the same tactic in 2003 to block Republican redistricting—a move that failed then and is poised to fail again. The current exodus only underscores the Democrats’ willingness to grind democracy to a halt when elections don’t go their way.

While Governor Pritzker postures as a hero for sheltering absconding lawmakers, the broader picture reveals a desperate effort to obstruct the democratic process and stall the advancement of constitutionally sound redistricting.

Fox News reported that Abbott laid into the runaway Democrats, stating plainly: “Real Texans don’t run from a fight.” He continued, “Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”

The Texas House cannot proceed unless at least 100 of its 150 members are present. With the 50-plus Democrats on the run, the chamber is frozen.

Abbott didn’t mince words about their obligations: participating in the legislative process “is not optional.” Texans elected their representatives to vote—not to run. And if Democrats think hiding out in Illinois will shield them from consequences, they may soon find out otherwise.