Beto O’Rourke Calls for Dems to ‘Punch First,’ Says ‘F**k the Rules’ in Redistricting Battle [WATCH]

Just hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won a legal battle against a political action committee led by Beto O’Rourke, the former Democratic candidate for governor and Senate called on Democrats nationwide to aggressively redraw congressional maps in their favor.

O’Rourke’s activist organization, Powered by People, has supported Texas Democrats who fled the state to block Republican-backed legislation, including aid for flood victims and a vote on a proposed redistricting plan.

The Texas House cannot hold votes without two-thirds of members present, and the absence of Democratic lawmakers has stalled action on multiple bills.

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According to ABC News, Powered by People has been helping cover costs for the absent lawmakers, including hotel stays and transportation.

The group’s spokesperson confirmed it has donated to the Texas House Democratic Caucus “to help cover upfront costs for the group, such as lodging and transportation,” but not to individual lawmakers or specific expenses.

The Democratic legislators coordinated their departure with several governors, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, in a bid to delay the redistricting vote.

O’Rourke has maintained regular communication with the group, telling ABC News, “We will have the backs of these heroic state lawmakers for as long as it takes to stop Trump’s power grab.”

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At a Powered by People rally in Fort Worth on Saturday, O’Rourke delivered a forceful speech urging Democratic-controlled states to redraw their congressional districts immediately to maximize their party’s advantage.

“We are not going to let him stop us. Are you with me on that? Andele! It also means, as Mark was saying earlier, we don’t await the punch thrown by these would-be fascists to land. We punch first, and we punch harder,” O’Rourke said.

He specifically called on California, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, and other Democrat-led states to act now rather than wait for Texas.

“We want California, and New Jersey, and Illinois, and Maryland, and every other state where the Democrats hold the Governor’s Mansion, the Assembly, and the State Senate to redraw their congressional districts now… to maximize Democratic Party advantage,” he told the crowd.

O’Rourke went on to say, “Listen, you may say to yourself, well, those aren’t the rules. There are no refs in this game. F**k the rules. We are going to win whatever it takes. We’re going to take this to them in every way that we can.”

While O’Rourke pressed for aggressive redistricting, many of the states he named already have maps that strongly favor Democrats.

In Illinois, for example, Republicans received 46 percent of the congressional vote in 2024 but hold only three of the state’s 17 seats.

Maryland is widely regarded as one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, and Democrats hold every congressional seat in New England despite Republicans winning similar vote shares in some states.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Saturday that voters will decide on potential redistricting changes in November, framing it as a response to Texas’ proposed map.

Critics noted that California’s current map already heavily favors Democrats.

In the 2024 House elections, Republican candidates won more than 40 percent of the statewide vote but secured just nine of the state’s 52 seats.

Republican-led states are also preparing to redraw maps. Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Florida, and South Carolina are all considering new lines, potentially giving Republicans a dozen more seats.

Additionally, a pending Supreme Court ruling on race-based congressional districts could result in further changes, particularly in the South, that may eliminate some Democrat-held districts.

O’Rourke’s direct role in funding the absent Texas Democrats could be ending soon.

On Friday, a Texas judge ruled that Powered by People is prohibited from providing financial support to the lawmakers or raising funds for them for the foreseeable future.