End of Walkout Splits Texas Democrats: ‘We Feel Betrayed and Heartbroken’

The return of three absent Democrats injected a new wave of uncertainty into the national battle over voting rights.

HOUSTON — For weeks, Democratic lawmakers in Texas were hearing that select members would be breaking ranks and returning to the Capitol. But as they gathered on Thursday morning for their daily Zoom call, there was no indication their 38-day walkout was about to fall apart. More than 50 Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives fled Austin for Washington last month to prevent a quorum and effectively kill a sweeping election overhaul bill that would have introduced new restrictions to voting. Just one member, Garnet F. Coleman, had been expected to return to the Capitol on Thursday, still leaving Republicans two Democrats short of a quorum.