Texas politician Linda Garcia is one of the many Democrats who left the state to block a GOP vote to redistrict a map.

Chicago

Texas State Representative Linda Garcia, a Democrat, has stated that she is not bothered by the threat of civil arrest issued by the Texas governor after she and other Democrats left the state. The move was intended to prevent a quorum and block a Republican-led redistricting session, which Garcia argues is unconstitutional and not in the best interest of her constituents.

Garcia emphasized that her actions are within her legal rights and that her primary responsibility is to represent her district, not to comply with the wishes of the governor or former President Donald Trump. She highlighted differences between redistricting efforts in Texas and other states, asserting that the current process in Texas is both premature and based on incorrect data, potentially diluting the voices of marginalized communities.

Texas Democrat: Arrest threat 'does not bother me' in GOP map mayhem

me now. Democratic Texas State Representative Linda Garcia. She's one of the Democrats who left the state of Texas. She's currently in Chicago. And I'll pose the question that our great colleague down in Texas was just asking in terms of how long is this going to go? When you talk to your colleagues, what are you guys thinking right now in terms of timeline here? Well, right now we are prepared to stay here for two weeks. Obviously, we have to see what the move is after those two weeks, but we are all prepared to fight. What is your reaction to the governor ordering civil arrests for you and your colleagues who did not attend the session today? You know, that doesn't bother me. That doesn't bother me at all. My constituents want me to take this quorum break. It is within our legal right. I was hired by the people in my district to do what is in their best interest, not what is in the best interest of Donald Trump and not what is in the best interest of Abbott. To once again cite my very smart colleague, Ed Lavandera, who was speaking just before you, the outcome here, at least based on past, if past is precedent, seems to be pretty baked in. But the process you guys are going through is clearly as much about garnering national attention, making sure people appreciate what's happening down there. I'm interested if you're concerned that this is turning into or could turn into a gerrymandering arms war of sorts, where Democratic states pursue the same exact thing that you're fighting right now down in Texas. I think it's unfortunate that we have gotten to where we are today. But unfortunately, what Donald Trump and Greg Abbott are trying to do is unconstitutional in the state of Texas. And while I cannot control what happens in other states, I can only make sure that I am doing everything in my possibility here in my district for my constituents. But would you like other states, particularly those with Democratic governors, to pursue a similar pathway, given kind of the scale of the fight that's started down in Texas? I think those governors know what is best for their constituents and their state, and they will take appropriate actions. One of the things that's been raised, particularly for you and some of your colleagues that have gone to Illinois, is Illinois isn't exactly a nonpartisan district-by-district state. It's quite a gerrymandered state towards the Democratic side, was just a couple of years ago signed into law by the current governor, J.B. Pritzker. How do you respond to people who point that out? Well, I think that the actions he took are within their constitution, within their right. That is very different from what is taking place in the state of Texas. So I think we all need to process that and understand the difference. This is illegal. And again, it's important. This is a point you're making. Can you elaborate on what the differences are? Because I think people don't know, understandably, the state-by-state kind of constitutions, how the statutes actually stand. What makes this different? Sure. In the state of Texas, our Texas constitution calls for redistricting every 10 years based on the census. We are not at the 10-year mark. We are halfway through the 10-year mark. And so not only are we redistricting from data that is incorrect, but we are also watering down the voices. When President Donald Trump calls for five congressional Republican districts, he is calling for the watered-down voices of marginalized community members in those existing districts. And that is the difference. A really important distinction there. I do want to ask, Governor Abbott said he will work to remove any state House member who did not show up for the special session today. That includes you. If this ends up being successful, Abbott could technically, I think, set up new elections to fill these empty seats. Are you concerned about what that may mean going forward? As I mentioned earlier, I was not hired to take on this position for what Abbott wants me to do. I have to make sure that I do everything in my power today to represent my constituents. I'm not interested in being a lifelong politician. I am a mother. I am a family member. I'm an entrepreneur. I am interested in representing the members of House District 107. That is what I am here for. So if I get removed, then I get removed. But at least I am clear in my conscience that I did everything I could in my power to stop this steal. Texas State Representative Linda Garcia, very important times. Really appreciate your time with us today. Thank you.

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