Published August 4, 2025 by

New Profiles in Courage

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, official photo
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, official photo

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

“To be in public office right now is to constantly ask yourself, how do I make sure that we’re standing on the right side of history? There’s a simple answer. The wrong side of history will always tell you to be afraid. The right side of history will always expect you to be courageous. Expect courage from people around you, and it will show up. Expect fear, and fear will rule the day. “

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker

Today we have new profiles in courage in opposing the Trump regime.

The Background

The Texas legislature is in-process of redistricting to create five new gerrymandered congressional districts at the expense of Democratic districts. This was ordered by Texas Governor Greg Abbot, after kowtowing to Trump’s demand to add an additional five republican-controlled districts. This is Republicans’ tactic to keep Congress under Republican control after the 2026 elections.

Texas State Coat of Arms
Texas State Coat of Arms

Texan Republicans cheerfully admit they are cheating to rig upcoming federal elections. They would rather rig elections to stay in power, instead of passing legislature that benefits regular voters instead of their billionaire owners.

As a last-ditch response, after all other normal legislative tactics were ignored, Democrats fled the state to deny a quorum. By the Texas state constitution, without a quorum, the legislature cannot conduct business.

Many of the Democratic legislators who fled are currently being sheltered by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. It’s not just Pritzker showing courage by taking a stand. The real courage, and real risks, are to the Texas Democrats who fled to deny the quorum. Abbott is so enraptured of Trump, he’s threatening the legislators a $500/day fine for every day they’re gone; felony convictions if they pay those fines with money raised through fundraising; and even removing them and appointing new legislators to replace them.

And North Korean “Leader for Life” Kim Jong-Un is busily scribbling notes on new and improved ways of being a fucking dictator.

He Speaks for Me

I think what Governor Pritzker has said is important. As a federal Government worker myself, I feel this statement every day. Even after I retire, I may still be placed in a position where doing the right thing risks my freedom through being arrested.

I have not had to show courage against this Trump regime in the form of risking my job or my freedom, so far. But if I do, I truly hope I’ll have the courage to stand on the right side of history. Governor Pritzker speaks for me.

Updated

August 5, 2025 with the names of Democrats holding the line in Texas.

Names of the Brave

This is a list of the 55 Texas Democrats who are risking arrest, and $500/day fines, to defend our Democracy. These people are true American heroes. List provided by Texomas news site.

  1. Gina Hinojosa – D49
  2. Ron Reynolds – D27
  3. James Talarico – D50
  4. Ann Johnson – D134
  5. Gene Wu – D137
  6. John Bucy – D136
  7. Trey Martinez Fischer – D116
  8. Josey Garcia – D124
  9. Diego Bernal – D123
  10. Toni Rose – D110
  11. Jon Rosenthal – D135
  12. Jalonda Jones – D147
  13. Venton Jones – D100
  14. Rafael Anchia – D103
  15. Sheryl Cole – D46
  16. Ramon Romero – D90
  17. Nicole Collier – D95
  18. Harold Dutton – D142
  19. Chris Turner – D101
  20. Linda Garcia – D107
  21. Charlene Ward Johnson – D139
  22. Jessica González – D104
  23. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos – D102
  24. Lauren Ashley Simmons – D146
  25. Donna Howard – D48
  26. Lulu Flores – D51
  27. Vikki Goodwin – D47
  28. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez – D115
  29. Mihaela Plesa – D70
  30. Suleman Lalani – D76
  31. Ray López – D125
  32. Christina Morales – D145
  33. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins – D120
  34. John Bryant – D114
  35. Rhetta Bowers – D113
  36. Terry Meza – D105
  37. Aicha Davis – D109
  38. Elizabeth Campos – D119
  39. Alma Allen – D131
  40. Ana Hernandez – D143
  41. Salman Bhojani – D92
  42. Philip Cortez – D117
  43. Erin Gamez – D38
  44. Christian Manuel – D22
  45. Vincent Perez – D77
  46. Mary Gonzalez – D75
  47. Claudia Ordaz – D79
  48. Penny Morales-Shaw – D148
  49. Senfronia Thompson – D141
  50. Hubert Vo – D149
  51. Yvonne Davis – D111
  52. Erin Zwiener – D45
  53. Armando Walle – D140
  54. Bobby Guerra – D41
  55. Mary Ann Perez – D144

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    Ron Charest

    Ron Charest

    Ron is a native New Yorker and 22-year Navy veteran. He retired from active duty in 1996 as a Senior Chief Electronics Technician (Submarine Qualified) and went on to build a successful post-Navy career in logistics and information technology, focused on the shipbuilding and ship-repair industry. He retired in August 2025 as a federal government worker for the US Coast Guard, at the Washington D.C. headquarters. When he's not on a boat, traveling, or working home improvement projects, he spends his time writing and building websites. Ron and his wife Weifang now reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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