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Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke said Democrats need to be willing to “fight fire with fire” when it comes to Republicans looking to redraw congressional districts.
“And this redistricting, which is just, you know, shorthand for members of Congress choosing their own voters,” O’Rourke said on “The Joy Reid Show” podcast on Monday.
“That’s going to make this even worse unless we stop it,” O’Rourke continued. “And so my hope is – and I hear this from everyone, everywhere – that Democrats fight back with everything they have. Fight fire with fire. So, if that means the Texas state house Democrats need to leave the state to deny their Republican colleagues a quorum, so be it.”
TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN
Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke says that Democrats need to fight Republican legislation that could add more Republican seats to the state. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers in Texas reportedly left the state over the weekend to try and stop the redistricting vote. The lawmakers participated in a Sunday press conference with Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
A minimum of 100 members of the 150-member Texas House must be present to do business.
Last week, Texas House Republicans introduced a redistricting proposal that could net five new Republican congressional seats. The draft map is likely to change before approval by both state legislative chambers.
The proposal looks to redraw district lines to include more Republican-leaning areas in Democratic areas like Dallas and Houston.
TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR
Beto O’Rourke also praised California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s alleged plans to redraw lines in California. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
O’Rourke also praised California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s alleged plans to redraw lines in California.
“If Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to follow through on his threat to redistrict in California to give Democrats more advantage there, I know no one likes this, but we’ve got to win power until we can change it,” Newsom said. “And if we don’t do everything we can, we’ll not get that power.”
“And then the third thing is,” he added, “if they do succeed in redrawing these districts, Democrats have to be ready to compete in and win them, not just the five newly created districts, if that’s what they end up doing, but Republican districts that before were considered to be safe, that will have to lose some Republican voters to these newly gerrymandered districts.”
Fox News’ Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
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