A bomb threat forced Democrats from the Texas state House of Representatives to flee the hotel in Illinois where they are staying after they decamped there to block a Republican attempt to redraw the congressional map.
The police department for St. Charles, Illinois said that it responded to a potential bomb threat at the Q-Center hotel and convention complex.
“In response to the threat, 400 people were immediately evacuated and the area was secured as bomb squad units conducted their investigation,” the police said.
Texas Republicans, under the orders of President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott, took the rare step to call a special session of the state legislature to redraw congressional districts to give the party an advantage in five seats in the state. In response, Democrats in the state House of Representatives decamped to blue states, including Illinois.
Illinois’ Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said he instructed the Illinois State Police to maintain public safety.
“I am aware of reports that threats were made against Texas elected officials in our state,” Pritzker said on X. “Threats of violence will be investigated and those responsible will be held accountable.”
Texas House Democrats put out a statement denouncing the threat.
“This morning, a threat was made against the safety of the members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus,” the statement said. “We are safe, we are secure, and we are undeterred. We are grateful for Governor Pritzker, local, and state law enforcement for their quick action to ensure our safety.”
The threat comes as Texas Republicans ramp up their attacks on Democrats in the state legislature.
On Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn, the state’s senior Republican senator, sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel asking the bureau to “locate the out-of-state Texas legislators who are potentially acting in violation of the law.”
Polling shows Cornyn, who is up for re-election in 2026, losing to Ken Paxton, the scandal-ridden attorney general whom Texas Republicans impeached but did not convict in 2023.
Abbott for his part has feuded with Paxton about how to handle Democrats leaving the state. On Tuesday evening, Abbott filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court of Texas to remove the House Democrats who left the state from office.
The state had already planned to hold a special session due to the excessive flooding in Kerr County and the Hill Country of Texas. But, as Trump and Republicans fear they might lose the majority in the US House of Representatives, Trump has urged Republicans to redraw the map.
Typically, states redraw their congressional districts at the beginning of each decade after the Census releases its most recent numbers. But Republicans have argued that changes in the state, as well as Trump’s inroads with Hispanic voters, warrant a change in map.
Democrats for their part argue that the redraw would disenfranchise Black and Hispanic voters.
“That power grab by Trump and Abbott doesn't just have the goal of getting five more seats in Congress,” State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. said during a press conference on Tuesday. “It has another goal, a goal more sinister than that, and make people believe that their vote doesn't really matter.”
The move from Texas Republicans comes as Republicans with majorities in state legislatures such as Florida and Ohio have also floated redistricting to shore up Republicans.
Polling for the generic ballot shows more Americans plan to vote for Democrats than Republicans in next year’s midterm elections. Republicans have only seven more seats in the Democrats.
In response, Democrats in blue states like California have proposed their own redistricting efforts to shore up their party. But many face significant obstacles since their some have nonpartisan redistricting commissions.
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