# Fifty-one Democratic state lawmakers have fled Texas, to try to stop a vote on a new congressional map that would heavily favour Republicans. The proposed re-districting is backed by US President Donald Trump and would create five new Republican-leaning seats in the US House of Representatives, where Republicans have a slender majority. Two-thirds of the 150-member state legislature must be present in order to hold a vote. The 51 Democrats are now in Illinois to prevent the required quorum and plan to stay there until the end of a special legislative session.
Democrats flee Texas to block Republican redistricting map backed by Trump