Texas legislators may not be in session at the Capitol, but the clash between representatives continues just down the street. Both Democratic and Republican representatives discussed their parties’ futures in the state on Thursday at separate Texas Tribune Festival panels.
Among the representatives was State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, who temporarily left the state to break quorum and block mid-decade redistricting efforts from Republicans in July. Howard said during the panel Republicans were unconstitutionally gerrymandering the state, and she was following her constituents’ wishes.
“Ultimately, we did what we could to set this up for the nation,” Howard said. “We brought the nation’s attention to what was happening here, and we set it up in the courts to hopefully get a resolution that will be favorable to you.”
This is the second quorum break from Democrats that State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Allen, has seen, and he said there are still some relationships that need to be repaired. The aisle that physically divides Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C. is a problem that the Texas House wants to avoid, Leach said.
“We’re a Republican state,” Leach said. “We’re not going to apologize for that, we’re not going to retreat from that. But, if Democrats want to show up and represent their districts and advocate for their values, they are absolutely in power to do so.”
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, who is running for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, spoke about her top policy priorities. One of these is preventing school vouchers from being up for vote when they expire.
“My big issues are supporting our public schools,” Goodwin said. “People often say, ‘But vouchers passed?’ Well, we funded vouchers for two years. In order to keep it going, we have to vote to fund it more. I will not let that happen as lieutenant governor.”
State Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, said property tax relief is a priority, mentioning Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Empowering Texas Taxpayers” property tax plan from this week, which would overhaul the state’s property tax system.
“There’s an insatiable appetite for public spending,” Little said. “We need to address changes to the property tax system so that everyday people can really afford to do what they want to with their families.”
The most recently elected of the Democratic representatives at the panel was state Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Collin, who won her first election in 2022 by about 800 votes. In her most recent election in 2024, she won by over 3,000 votes, which she attributes to her door-to-door campaigning.
“People want fighters,” Plesa said. “People want people that are going to listen to them and that are going to show up and they’re going to work for them.”
Little said this is a time that needs consistent leadership. There are four Democratic representatives who are running for various positions, who he said are the “best communicators:” Gina Hinojosa for governor, James Talarico for senator, Vikki Goodwin for lieutenant governor and Jon Rosenthal for railroad commissioner.
“This is an opportunity, in my view, for the Republican Party to carry out its initiatives and its legislative priorities,” Little said. “I hope that we will seize it.”
