As Democratic members of the Texas House continue to boycott their state Capitol, some Oregon Democratic lawmakers are cheering them on.
And that has rankled some Oregon Republicans.
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham called it a “hypocritical double standard” to see his Democratic colleagues in Oregon praising the walkout in Texas. Democrats in Oregon blasted Republicans when they fled the Capitol in previous years, saying at the time that their actions undermined democracy.
Texas and Oregon are two of only four states that require a two-thirds quorum to conduct business. So, like in Texas, the minority party can bring lawmaking to a halt simply by refusing to show up. Oregon Republicans have used the tactic several times in recent years.
In 2022, Democrats supported a voter-approved measure banning lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences, a move meant to punish several Republicans from being able to seek reelection because of walkouts.
Bonham wrote that his Democratic colleagues “praise” Texas Democrats, while they “throw us out.”
Texas Democrats fled their state Legislature on Aug. 3 so there wouldn’t be lawmakers present to vote on proposed congressional maps that aim to flip Democratic districts in the Lone Star state from blue to red.
It’s a move Oregon Republicans are familiar with, having fled their statehouse in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023. The reason for those walkouts ranged from a climate-change proposal, COVID-19 restrictions and bills related to abortion access and gender-affirming care.
But walkouts have been deployed by both parties in Oregon. In 2001, it was the Democrats who were in the minority and decided to flee the Capitol. At the time, they were protesting redistricting maps drawn by the Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, was one of the state Democrats who evaded Salem more than two decades ago.
“When there is a serious policy debate to be had, you show up and have those hard discussions,” Merkley wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “But, when the act of showing up would directly lead to the disenfranchisement of voters, you need to get creative and act in a way that meets the moment.”
That is the distinction Democrats in Oregon continue to still rely upon.
Sen. Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland, said comparing the Oregon and Texas walkouts is like comparing“apples and oranges.”
“I actually feel like the future of the country is at stake,” Reynolds said of the Trump administration-led effort to push for redistricting in Texas and elsewhere.
She described the Texas Republicans’ move as an “egregious power grab.”
“Republicans [in Oregon] walked out because they had a policy difference … a policy brought forward by the majority party, so I say, go make an argument to the voters to regain control of our statehouse,” Reynolds said.
Democratic Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, also posted on social media, urging Democrats in Texas to “hang in there” as the “nation is counting on you and your stand for our democracy.” He echoed Reynolds, saying a walkout over policy is different from what the Texans are doing.
“The Democrats walking out in Texas are walking out over the fundamental rules of engagement, and I think those things are different,” he said.
But, Nosse said, he realizes there are nuances: “If you cannot handle a little hypocrisy, you can’t handle humanity.”
Tim Knopp, a former Republican state Senator from Bend, who was the leader of his party during the Oregon’s longest-ever legislative walkout, said he has no regrets.
Walkouts are the “nuclear option,” Knopp said, a crucial tool for the minority party. He said Republicans in Oregon had a choice to either boycott the session or “get completely run over.”
Despite not aligning with the Texas Democrats, Knopp said they are “a party doing what they can to protest under the rules they have.”
Related: Here’s what’s driving Tim Knopp, leader of Oregon Senate GOP walkout
The fight in Texas over political maps has spread to other states. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would push for new maps before the 2026 midterm election to counteract the possible new Texas Republican maps. Oregon’s Gov. Tina Kotek has promised to stay out of the redistricting fight.
“The Governor is tracking what other states are doing and currently has no plans to redistrict in Oregon,” Kotek’s office said in an email. “Oregon redistricting is controlled by statute and redistricting is a once a decade process.”
Though Democrats in Oregon are cheering their counterparts, the party would have little to gain from a redistricting battle. The party already represents five of the possible six Congressional districts.
