Democratic Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin is reportedly planning to go “nuclear” if Texas Republicans pursue a redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump.
“If they’re going to go nuclear in Texas, I’m going to go nuclear in other places,” Slotkin said during an interview with Axios on Wednesday.
She added, “I’m not going to … fight with one arm tied behind my back. I don’t want to do that, but if they’re proposing to rig the game … we’re going to get in that game and fight.”
Slotkin’s comments reflect a growing anxiety among Democrats as redistricting talks intensify in Texas.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Thursday, “It’s all options on the table at this moment,” according to Axios.
Trump earlier this month floated a “simple redrawing” map that he said could “pick up five seats” for the GOP in Texas.
That proposal would trigger legal challenges and could push Democrats to pursue their own aggressive redraws in other states, Axios reported.
The Texas Tribune reported Tuesday, “Members of the California congressional delegation met with Jeffries last week. The group was largely in favor of redistricting to give Democrats another five to seven seats, according to two House Democrats who were in attendance.”
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott was initially hesitant to embrace the Trump-backed redistricting push, according to the Tribune.
Should Republicans push ahead with Texas redistricting?
The outlet reported Abbott changed his mind after a call with the president.
Abbott’s office was reportedly lobbied by White House staffers before Trump personally called the governor.
A spokesperson for Abbott declined to comment on the call but said the governor “looks forward to the legislature addressing important topics.”
The Tribune also reported that most of Texas’s Republican congressional delegation had expressed reservations about redistricting.
Some feared the plan could backfire by spreading Republican voters too thin, jeopardizing their seats.
Trump reportedly spoke to GOP members in a recent call.
Abbott later included redistricting on the agenda for the special legislative session that began Monday.
“The message was clear among the delegation: there was no stopping the president and they should get on board,” the Tribune reported.
“If we can redraw Texas and it fits within all the confines of law and everything, well, then let’s get ’er done,” said Republican Texas Rep. Troy Nehls.
As the Tribune further reported, “Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argued that four of Texas’ Democratic-controlled districts were unconstitutional and should be redrawn on the grounds of racial gerrymandering.”
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