Texas Republican: GOP ‘will never have the White House again’ if state lost to Democrats
Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison (R) claimed on Monday that the Republican Party will “never have the White House again” if Democrats overtake the majority in the Lone Star State.
“I‘m here to speak for myself. And what I care about is working to make sure that the will, the interests, the desires and quite frankly, what the voters of Texas deserve to have happen, which is their elected Republican legislature, stand up and do what they want, which is make sure the state of Texas — where the line in the sand for the future of the country,” Harrison said during his Monday night appearance on CNN’s “The Source,” when asked why the redistricting push in Texas, which was approved by President Trump, is taking place.
“There‘s no doubt about that. As goes Texas, so goes the nation,” he told host Kaitlan Collins. “If we ever lose Texas to the Democrats, the Republicans will never have the White House again. So, it‘s incumbent upon us, people like me, in the legislative branch.”
Harrison added, “If you want to ask the governor a question about what motivated him to do something, feel free to ask him. I mean, he called the special session as a member of the legislature.”
Trump won Texas, which carries 40 Electoral College votes, in the 2024 presidential election by nearly 14 points against former Vice President Harris.
The redistricting push kicked into higher gear on Monday as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered that Texas Democrats, who fled the state, be arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Dozens of state-level Democrats have left the Lone Star State, breaking the state House quorum and looking to remain outside of Texas until the special legislative session, which gaveled last month, ends. The lawmakers are hoping to slow down the GOP’s effort to pass a mid-decade redistricting plan, as Trump has said he would like the Republican Party to gain five House seats in the state during next year’s midterms.
Democratic governors in other states, including New York, have warned that they might fire back by altering the congressional lines in their states to make them more favorable for their party’s candidates.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said the Democrats that fled Texas should be “swiftly arrested, punished, and face the full force of the law for turning their backs on the people” of Texas.
State House Texas Democrats have argued their action was necessary, accusing the GOP of rigging the forthcoming midterm election.