Texas congressional candidate arrested during heated redistricting hearing

Congressional candidate Isaiah Martin was forcibly removed and arrested during a Thursday hearing in the Texas State Capitol on redistricting after refusing to yield the microphone during public comment.

“It is a shame,” Martin yelled as he was escorted out. “You should all be ashamed.”

Texas Republicans are pushing to redraw the state’s maps after pressure from the Trump administration. They have not yet released a proposed map, which could re-define congressional districts to give the GOP a leg up in the 2026 midterms.

Martin, a Democrat, was speaking in opposition to the redistricting efforts, which he called “illegal gerrymandering,” when he went over his two-minute time limit. State Rep. Cody Vasut (R), who chaired the hearing, asked the sergeant-at-arms to remove Martin.

The candidate’s brother said Friday that the charges against Martin had been dropped and that he would be freed from custody later that night. Martin faced charges for disrupting the meeting, trespassing and resisting arrest, local media reported.

Martin is running in a November special election for the seat vacated after Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died in March.

The seat had been previously held by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who also died in office. Martin was formerly a top aide to the congresswoman and has been endorsed by her daughter, who chairs his campaign.

In a post on the social media platform X prior to the hearing, Martin said Democrats could retaliate against the GOP’s redistricting by making their own moves to redraw the maps.

“Blue states will now RUTHLESSLY gerrymander out Republicans to counteract this insanity,” he wrote. “If rules are good for Republicans, they’re good for us!”