CHICAGO – In the middle of Texas’s latest political firestorm, state Rep. Venton Jones is helping lead the charge to defend democracy. As the first openly HIV-positive member of the Texas Legislature and one of the first openly Black gay men ever elected to a state chamber, Jones has become a powerful symbol of resistance in a fight that reaches far beyond party politics.
Rep. Venton Jones Takes Stand in Chicago as GOP Maps Target Minority Voters
State Rep. Jones, who represents House District 100 in central Dallas County, joined more than 50 Democratic lawmakers in fleeing the state to break quorum and block a special-session redistricting plan pushed by Republicans and President Donald Trump. Jones is in Chicago. The plan, Democrats say, is an illegal power grab designed to secure more GOP congressional seats by dismantling minority districts.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Jones told The Black Wall Street Times. “We are in the middle of a crisis right now. This redistricting is not based on data. It’s based on a request from the President and the Republican Party to hold on to power.”
Jones’s words reflect the shared outrage of his colleagues, who argue that the Republican-drawn maps violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black, Latino, Asian, and LGBTQ voters. “It is literally discriminating. It is in violation of the Voting Rights Act,” Rep. Venton Jones said.
Rep. Venton Jones fled Texas to defend democracy—from Chicago, he’s leading a civil rights fight for us all. The GOP drew maps to erase Black, Brown, and LGBTQ power. Jones won’t stay silent.
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Republicans Target Urban Districts; Democrats Face Fines and Arrest
The maps, unveiled just days after a public hearing, divide urban centers into sprawling districts that connect with rural, predominantly white communities. Notably, Republicans redrew four Democratic-held seats, represented by Reps. Marc Veasey, Jasmine Crockett, Julie Johnson, and others, to exclude the lawmakers’ own residences.
“That should be a huge red flag,” Rep. Venton Jones told The Black Wall Street Times. “We’ve had record minority growth. We need more representation of people of color in Congress, not less.”
Jones did not take the decision to flee with his colleagues lightly. On August 4, House Republicans voted to issue arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers. Additionally, they’re issuing a $500 daily fine for each day of absence. But like his colleagues, Jones remains undeterred.
“We’re not on vacation. We’re out talking to leaders in other states, raising the alarm about what’s happening in Texas,” he said. “This isn’t just about Texas. It’s about democracy in America.”
“It Will Get Worse”: Jones Urges Action in New Civil Rights Fight
Rep. Venton Jones also condemned SB 7, another bill in the same special session that targets transgender Texans with a new bathroom ban. “Instead of helping Texans recover from deadly floods or rising grocery prices, Republican leaders are prioritizing attacks on LGBTQ people and rigging congressional maps,” he told The Black Wall Street Times.
Jones sees this moment as a defining battle for civil rights in the 21st century.
“This is our civil rights era,” he said. “We have to pay attention — the way our ancestors did. Because if we don’t, it will get worse.”
Fighting for Democracy Means Showing Up, Rep. Venton Jones Tells Texans
Rep. Venton Jones had a message for Texans who feel powerless: organize and engage.
“They’re coming for the rights people died for us to have,” he said. “We have to make politics sexy again. This is about how we live, how we own property — where we send our kids to school. It’s all connected.”
Standing with fellow Democrats, Rep. Venton Jones resists injustice and helps lead a powerful collective movement for change. Nevertheless, they are reminding the nation that protecting democracy requires action, sacrifice, and the refusal to remain silent in the face of injustice.
As Trump and Texas Republicans rewrite the rules, Jones and his colleagues are holding the line for everyone.
Trump told Texas Republicans to “find” five new seats—so they redrew the map in Jim Crow ink.
Rep. Venton Jones and over 50 Texas Democrats fled the state to stop a racist power grab targeting Black, Brown, and LGBTQ voters. From Chicago, Jones is leading a new civil rights fight—and we’re sounding the alarm before this spreads nationwide.
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