FBI Assisting Texas In Hunt For ‘Runaway’ Democrats, GOP Senator Says

The FBI will help track down the Democratic state lawmakers who fled Texas in a bid to stop their state legislature from enacting a GOP redistricting plan, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said on Thursday.

Cornyn made the announcement two days after sending a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel requesting that the bureau help Texas state law enforcement locate or arrest the Democrats after they potentially broke the law.

“I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,” Cornyn said in a statement. “I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities.”

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment when The Daily Wire reached out to the bureau.

President Donald Trump is pushing Texas and other states to redraw their congressional maps with the expectation that Republicans would gain seats. In retaliation, Democrats have rallied for mid-decade redistricting in blue states. Shifting lines could give either party an edge in the 2026 midterm elections.

Dozens of Democratic Texas state lawmakers went AWOL over the weekend with a stated purpose of preventing the state legislature from passing a new redistricting plan that could lead to Republicans gaining as many as five seats in the U.S. House. They are doing so by denying the quorum needed to conduct business for a special session.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the arrest of the Democrats who have refused to return and filed suit to remove Democrat House Caucus Chair Gene Wu from office after he led the walkout effort.

In his letter to Patel, Cornyn wrote, “Abbott and Texas state law enforcement officers are doing what they can within the confines of the law, but federal help may be necessary. These legislators have committed potential criminal acts in their rush to avoid their constitutional responsibilities and must be fully investigated and held accountable.”

Cornyn made the request for FBI support as he runs for another six-year term in the Senate. He is facing a primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has warned that he will begin removing the Democratic lawmakers from office if they do not meet a Friday deadline set by the state House speaker. Paxton also launched an investigation into a group led by Democrat Beto O’Rourke that is bankrolling the runaway Democrats.

Democrats have criticized the GOP’s reaction to what they argue is an effort to stop gerrymandering. That includes former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), who is also running in the 2026 Senate race against Cornyn and Paxton after losing to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in a 2024 contest.

“This isn’t about ‘locating’ anyone — they’re not hiding,” Allred said in a post on X in response to Cornyn’s announcement on Thursday. “It’s about silencing dissent and weaponizing law enforcement. Cornyn is deputizing the FBI and Paxton is trying to expel lawmakers because they’re both too weak and corrupt to stand up to Washington. Enough is enough — Texans deserve better.”

RELATED: A Nationwide ‘Redistricting War’ Is Brewing. This Bill Seeks To Stop It.