Texas Democrats Return as O’Rourke Faces Legal Fight Over PAC Donations

As Texas Democrats staged a quorum break to block new congressional maps, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s group Powered by People stepped in with over $1 million in donations to support their effort.

O’Rourke said the group received more than 55,000 individual donations from supporters across the country during the walkoutFunds went to the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the Texas House Democratic Caucus, and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.

Over 50 House Democrats fled Texas earlier this month for Illinois and other states in an effort to block Republicans’ mid-decade redraw of the state’s congressional map. The GOP proposal, pressed by former President Donald Trump, could yield up to five additional Republican seats in next year’s midterms.

Republicans responded with extraordinary measures, including issuing civil arrest warrants for absent members and seeking to extradite them from Illinois.

During the walkout, O’Rourke announced that more than 55,000 donors nationwide had contributed to Powered by People. The funds were distributed among the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the Texas House Democratic Caucus, and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, as first reported by The Texas Tribune.

But the donations became entangled in legal challenges. Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey issued a temporary injunction barring Powered by People from fundraising or financially supporting the quorum break, siding with Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton has since accused O’Rourke of violating the order and requested the court fine him $500 per alleged violation and jail him for the duration of the case. O’Rourke has countersued, claiming Paxton’s investigation is a “fishing expedition” that infringes on constitutional rights.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s first special session ended Friday without action on redistricting after Democrats maintained their absence for two weeks. The governor immediately called a second special session.

Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, emphasized Monday that “we are done waiting. We have a quorum. Now is the time for action.”

Though Democrats lack the votes to stop the map, they described their walkout as a political success. Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement that the effort “reshaped the entire 2026 landscape” by rallying national support and buying time to prepare a legal strategy against what he called a “racist map.”