Demonstrators protest outside Texas governor's mansion against Republican redistricting plan

Record ID: 2019373

  • Title: Demonstrators protest outside Texas governor's mansion against Republican redistricting plan
  • Date: 4th August 2025
  • Summary: AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 4, 2025) (REUTERS) PEOPLE MARCHING IN PARKING LOT NEXT TO TEXAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION, WITH TEXAS STATE CAPITOL DOME IN BACKGROUND, CHANTING 'THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DIVIDED' PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN READING (English) 'ABBOTT, STOP BEING TR*MP'S B*TCH' VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING 'WHOSE HOUSE, OUR HOUSE' 'WHOSE SEAT
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Governor Greg Abbot Texas elections gerrymandering protest redistricting
  • Location: AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
  • City: AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001488404082025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Democratic U.S. Representative Greg Casar led several dozen protesters in a march outside the Texas governor's mansion on Monday (August 4) after Governor Greg Abbott ordered Democratic lawmakers to be brought back to the state capital to allow a quorum necessary to vote on a redistricting plan championed by President Donald Trump.
    The lawmakers left Texas in a bid to prevent voting on a Republican plan to redraw the state's congressional districts. By redrawing district lines in hopes of flipping some seats currently held by Democrats, the Republicans aim to protect the party's narrow U.S. House of Representatives majority in next year's midterm elections.
    "Governor Greg Abbott is a coward for saying that our law enforcement should go out and arrest our local elected officials," Casar told Reuters. "This is America. This is a place where you're not supposed to be sending law enforcement to go and handcuff elected officials that you disagree with."
    At a session of the Texas Legislature on Monday, the Republican speaker of the state House issued civil warrants for the Democrats - most of whom have gone to Illinois, New York or Massachusetts - to be brought back to Austin. But the orders apply only within the state, and breaking quorum is not a crime.
    States are required to redistrict every 10 years based on the U.S. Census, but the current Texas map was passed just four years ago by the Republican-dominated legislature. While mid-cycle redistricting occasionally takes place, it is usually prompted by a change in power at the legislature.
    Leaders of Democrat-led states such as California and Illinois have recently raised the idea of redistricting their own U.S. congressional maps to boost the number of Democratic seats in response to Abbott's push in Texas.
    (Production: Evan Garcia, Jane Ross)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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