Former President Barack Obama met Thursday with Texas House Democrats to praise them for leaving the state to stop a GOP-backed redistricting effort.
Obama also pointed to the response by California — which launched its own redistricting retaliation on Thursday — as a result of the Texas Democrats’ own protest, which he views as a temporary offset. He told them he prefers congressional maps to be drawn by independent commissions rather than politicians, but recognized the need for a Democratic response.
“He acknowledged what Texas is doing is wrong, and you have to be able to stand up in this moment,” state Rep. Ann Johnson, who attended the meeting, told POLITICO.
“He was very clear: If we are all playing to our higher angels as politicians, we should want the people determining our lines,” she said. “We should be brave enough to let the voters pick our lines and compete on fair ideas. And that’s what he wants. That’s what all of us want.”
Obama was joined on call by former Attorney General Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
The meeting comes as Obama will headline a fundraiser for the NDRC next week in Martha’s Vineyard in response to Republicans’ redistricting efforts.
The meeting was first reported by ABC.
The group of Texas Democrats have been in Illinois for nearly two weeks to deny Republicans the ability to pass a new map carving out five more seats at the request of President Donald Trump. The final day of the special session, ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott, is Friday. Democrats indicated on Thursday they are willing to return home if the session ends on Friday, and if California Democrats introduce their own map adding more seats in retaliation. That process is already in motion in California: Gov. Gavin Newsom formally launched his campaign for a new House map on Thursday.
During the 30-minute call, Obama heard directly from Texas Democratic Reps. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins and Rep. Christian Manuel, and he praised the lawmakers for standing up to the attacks they’ve faced since decamping earlier this month, including bomb threats and lawsuits.
