'Meet fire with fire': O'Rourke says Democrats need aggressive approach to Texas redistricting

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 02: Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke speaks to attendees during a "Our Fight, Our Future" rally at The Millennium bowling alley on October 02, 2024 in Austin, Texas. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) con

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Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke is calling on Democrats to be more aggressive when it comes to how they handle an attempt to redraw Texas' congressional maps ahead of the midterm elections.

Speaking at the Center for American Progress Tuesday night, O'Rourke said California Gov. Gavin Newsom should move forward and "meet fire with fire" with an attempt to redraw the lines in California to gain more Democratic seats regardless of what happens in the Lone Star State.

What they're saying:

"This is for the very future and fate of the Republic," O'Rouke said. "We lose it. You will never, ever get it back."

In his defense of the idea, O'Rouke said the United States is already under an "authoritarian president who is routinely defying the Constitution."

"In other words, why the f--- are we responding and reacting to the other side?" O'Rourke said. "Instead of taking the offense on these things?"

O'Rouke said Republicans were more focused on being in power, while Democrats were more focused on being right, something that he said has to change.

"We have to be ruthlessly focused on winning power," O'Rouke said.

Texas redistricting

State lawmakers were called back to Austin for a special session that started Monday by Gov. Greg Abbott.

Among the items on the governor's agenda was redrawing the Congressional maps for the state.

Last week, President Donald Trump said he wanted to gain five Republican seats through Texas' redistricting efforts.

But, Abbott says the decision to explore redistricting in a special session didn't come through pressure from Trump, but rather guidance from the Department of Justice that the maps drawn in 2020 are unconstitutional.

What they're saying:

"What I'm worried about is making sure that we are going to have congressional districts in the state of Texas, where Texas is going to be represented in Washington, DC, in ways that fit the structure of this recent court decision that allows Texas to draw these districts that also maximize the ability of Texans to be able to vote for their candidate of choice," Abbott said Tuesday.

While Republicans control 25 of the state's 38 Congressional districts, lawmakers are expected to try and relocate Democratic voters from competitive seats into more Republican-leaning districts and move more Republicans into democratically controlled districts.

What's next:

The House Congressional Redistricting Committee has meetings scheduled on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Austin, on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Houston and Monday at 5 p.m in Arlington.

The Senate redistricting committee will meet at the Capitol on Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m., Monday at 3 p.m. and Tuesday at 9 a.m.