DEVELOPING: Texas House Democrats Set To RETURN For Special Session

According to reports, Texas House Democrats who fled the state in an attempt to stop a vote on the proposed new congressional district map will return to the chamber.

“ABC13 has confirmed with multiple sources that House Democrats will return to Texas,” ABC13 wrote.

BREAKING — REPUBLICANS WIN: Texas House Democrats will now be RETURNING to Texas for Greg Abbott’s Special Session, where the new U.S. House Maps will be PASSED

Democrats cave AGAIN!

We’re about to have FIVE MORE Republicans US House seats! LFG! pic.twitter.com/PFyhadEVXI

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 12, 2025

ABC13 has the details:

Eyewitness News has not confirmed the date, but we do know that Democrats believe they’ve accomplished their mission by killing the first special session and by raising national awareness about the mid-decade redistricting effort.

It is unclear which day they will be in Austin at the Capitol, but they stress that they will push for Hill Country flooding relief to be the priority.

This comes as the House went another session without a quorum on Tuesday, with just 95 members present for the second day in a row. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said that assuming there is no quorum on Friday, the session will end, and a new one will begin.

Hours later, the Senate actually passed a new map that benefits Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. It’s the same map that passed out of committee in the House and precipitated more than 50 House Democrats to break quorum.

The Texas Senate passed the proposed congressional map in a 19-2 vote, with nine Democrats absent after exiting the chamber.

JUST IN: Congressional Redistricting Map Approved By Texas Senate, Democrats Walk Out

“This mid-decade redistricting isn’t about fair representation—it’s about politicians picking their voters instead of voters choosing their leaders,” the Senate Democratic Caucus said in a statement.

“And it doesn’t stop here. If they can gerrymander now, they can and will do it before every election,” the statement continued.

“Democrats can run to another state, but they can’t outrun the will of Texans. If there’s no quorum Friday, Special Session #2 will start immediately after Sine Die. Same agenda, with potential to add more. I’ll call special after special until the Texas first agenda is passed,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.

Democrats can run to another state, but they can’t outrun the will of Texans.

If there’s no quorum Friday, Special Session #2 will start immediately after Sine Die.

Same agenda, with potential to add more.

I’ll call special after special until the Texas first agenda is passed. pic.twitter.com/DruA8YHcrn

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 12, 2025

ABC News has more:

ABC News has not confirmed the date that Democrats plan to return or if they will return in a group, though one source told ABC News the House Democrats loosely plan on returning this weekend.

Those plans could change, one source noted, if Republicans go back on their word to begin a second special session on Friday.

Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Tuesday morning that the chamber will sine die on Friday, rendering the current special session adjourned if Democrats do not return by then.

Abbott would then call a second special session “immediately,” he said in a statement. He indicated the second special session would include every item from the first and potentially additional items -- though his office could not say what those additional items might be

Abbott has said he is committed to calling special sessions, which can last a maximum of 30 days, as long as needed to pass the maps.