(AP) – National Democrats are closing ranks behind Texas state lawmakers who’ve left the state to prevent, at least for now, Republicans from satisfying President Trump’s wishes for a gerrymandered congressional map that would help Republicans in the 2026 midterms.

Standing with Texas legislators gathered in Illinois, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin promised Tuesday that the party is “bringing a knife to a knife fight” rather than stand by. He warned that the GOP plan in Texas is “a test case for the rest of the country” and a “model for other red states to lie, cheat and steal away to victory.”

California officials are considering their own effort to further tilt their U.S. House delegation to Democrats to counter Texas.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that Trump’s push in Texas is “not democracy — that’s not America.” He mocked Texas leaders for doing Trump’s bidding. “When Donald Trump calls, they say, ‘Yes, sir, right away,’” Pritzker said of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s running for the Senate in 2026.