Joining more than 50 Democratic lawmakers, Oak Cliff-born representative Jessica González left the state in protest of proposed redistricting maps on Sunday, Aug. 3.
She’s no stranger to putting up a fight in Texas politics.
González led the charge in a May 2021 walkout while serving as vice chair of the Elections Committee. She walked out of the Texas House of Representatives in protest of a bill restricting the methods voters cast their ballots in the state. The bill later passed despite the quorum breaks.
González said that the people in her district voted for her to be able to represent their voices, and that means going the extra mile.
“They want me to be in the fight for democracy. They don’t want any part of this political game. They don’t want to be a chip, right? And that is currently happening right now, and so for me, I mean, I feel very strongly about that, because it’s just going to be dangerous,” she said.
Typically, redistricting happens every 10 years after the most recent census data is complete in order to account for population changes. However, the task was one of the 18 listed agenda items Gov. Greg Abbott issued on July 21 for the summer special session.
Photo courtesy of Birk Wilkison
The redistricting maps have been under much scrutiny over the past week since the release of the proposed map, which has the potential “to draw an additional five Republican congressional seats” in the 2026 midterm elections.
“This is going to have a larger impact on our entire country,” she said.
Although major district changes are not directly hitting Oak Cliff, the extent in which the changes will hit other communities influenced Rep. González’s decision to stand with House Democrats.
“Texas is going to be the first place,” she said. “They’re planning on doing it in other states. They want to have a super, super, super majority. It’s not just Texas, it’s going to be other states.”
As of Aug. 8, 2025, Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the Texas Supreme Court to expel 13 Democrats from the state House, including Rep. González. She was listed for removal from office in addition to facing a warrant waiting for her upon her return to Texas and potentially hundreds of dollars in fines for missing official business without permission.
“These additional lawsuits, or these threats, things like that I think this kind of further illustrates right to people to what extent they’re willing to go,” she said. “Because they know they can’t win the court of public opinion, so they’re trying to do the courts.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article was published Aug. 11, 2025. This version of the article is a part of our 25 moments of 2025 for the January 2026 print edition and has been edited to meet the style of our print publication.
