Beto O’Rourke Raises Funds to Support Texas Democrats Evading GOP Redistricting Push, Faces Legal Threats

In an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Wednesday, Democratic politician Beto O’Rourke announced he is fundraising for fellow Democrats in the Texas state legislature who left the state to delay a Republican-led redistricting push.

O’Rourke praised tens of thousands of donors for contributing towards the fleeing lawmakers’ expenses, including food and travel costs, as well as their legal defense. The fundraising efforts are being spearheaded by O’Rourke’s Texas political action committee, Powered By People, which amassed over $700,000 for state House Democrats during a similar quorum break in 2021. Democratic US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is also involved in the fundraising effort.

Texas Democrats departed the state on Sunday to deny the legislature a quorum, preventing Republicans from passing a new US House map that could potentially flip as many as five seats in the upcoming year.

“The election of 2026 will be decided in the summer of 2025,” O’Rourke stated.

Governor Greg Abbott has asked the Texas Supreme Court to disqualify state Representative Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader, from office. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have threatened further disqualifications if enough Democrats do not return to the state by Friday, when Republicans plan to proceed with redistricting.

Paxton announced on Wednesday that his office had initiated an investigation into O’Rourke’s fundraising activities. In a statement, he said his office would demand “documents and communications from the group regarding potentially unlawful activity, including its involvement in the Democrats’ quorum break scheme.”

“Any Democrat coward breaking the law by accepting a Beto bribe will be held accountable,” Paxton added. Absent Democratic lawmakers face fines of $500 per day, and Republican leaders have requested that the Texas Department of Public Safety arrest the lawmakers for leaving the state and investigate them for bribery if they accept outside assistance in paying the fines.

O’Rourke described the battle over the aggressive redistricting push by Texas Republicans as a significant one. “If we fail, the consolidation of authoritarian power in America will be nearly unstoppable,” he warned. “This is literally for all the marbles.”

The former Democratic presidential candidate also voiced support for members of his party considering pursuing redistricting changes in blue states as a means to counteract the Texas GOP effort. Governors such as Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Kathy Hochul of New York are among those proposing changes.

“My party has been more concerned with being right and coloring within the lines than they’ve cared about being in power,” O’Rourke concluded.