After leaving Texas for Illinois to prevent a legislative vote on a Republican redistricting plan, state House Democratic leader Gene Wu needed a means to project his voice — and viewpoints — to a national audience. So he tapped his campaign account to buy a microphone for news conferences.

During a special committee meeting on Congressional redistricting on Thursday (August 7), Texas Senate Republican Phil King and Democrat Borris Miles took part in a heated debate over adopting a new redistricting map championed by U.