Some Texas Democrats who left their home state to avoid a special legislative session to redraw congressional districts are in Massachusetts. 

The Texas lawmakers greeted Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, preferring a political ally to hundreds of dollars in fines and arrest if they return to their home state. 

"You all heard of the game Texas hold'em. Well, we are literally holding the line on democracy. Not just for Texas, but for our nation," Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado said during a press conference with Healey at the Massachusetts State House Tuesday. 

The Democrats fled the Lone Star State Sunday to prevent a vote on the Republican led legislature's effort to redraw congressional districts. 

Gov. Healey referred to it as, "a partisan, craven, political power grab attempt by the President of the United States." 

The gerrymandering is happening at the vocal behest of President Donald Trump. Right now, Republicans control the U.S. House of Representatives in Congress by just three seats. The new Texas maps could add an additional five Republican seats. 

But the gerrymandering drama reaches beyond Texas. At a convention of state lawmakers in Boston, Virginia State Senator Mamie Locke said it could set off a partisan backlash where many states seek to change their electoral maps for political gain. 

"Other states may say, oh why not take a look at how we do things. That's bad," Locke said. "We're going to get into this situation where everybody is going to start looking at creating gerrymandered maps." 

Trump on Massachusetts districts

On CNBC Tuesday morning, President Trump said it was Democrats who started gerrymandering, pointing directly at Massachusetts. 

"In Massachusetts, I got I think, 41% of the vote. It's a very you know blue state. And yet, it's got 100% of Congress," President Trump said. 

MassGOP Executive Director said the congressional districts in Massachusetts are "terribly gerrymandered and unfair." 

"Forty percent of Massachusetts voters voted for Republican representation at the federal level in 2024 and yet we do not have a single Republican representing us at the federal level," Milligan said. 

It's unclear when the Texas lawmakers will return home. Right now, they are facing $500 a day in fines.