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TX GOP Legislators Have Democratic Candidate Isaiah Martin Treated Roughly and Arrested [1]

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Date: 2025-07-27

“Deep in the Heart of Texas” –Anti-First Amendment GOPers Have Democratic House Candidate Isaiah Martin Arrested for Exercising His Right to Free Speech July 27, 2025

Well, we’re once again “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” After pressure from Demagogue/Dictator wannabe Donald, the Republican members of the Texas GOP-dominated legislative chambers, who are also being encouraged by their Republican Governor Greg Abbott, are working on a plan to redraw ALL that state’s congressional districts. Texas currently has 38 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Twenty-five (25) of them are Republican, while just thirteen (13) are Democratic. https://texas.gov

However, this present overwhelming “Team Red” House majority in the Lone Star State, is just not enough. Democrats are currently favored by most analysts to recapture the House in the 2026 midterm elections. All they need is to take back a net gain of 3 seats. https://seats.npr.org

However, should Texas GOP lawmakers carve up the Lone Star Democratic House districts and go on to whittle at least an additional 5 more GOP ones, “Team Red” can get an even tighter “death-grip” on that state. If TX achieves this result, the U.S. House may stay in GOP hands after the 2026 midterms and Democrats will, once again, be denied a strong federal ability to resist Demagogue Donald’s anti-democracy moves. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335234/-Jesus-Get-off-of-him-TX-18-Candidate-Isaiah-Martin-Arrested-After-Speaking-Out-At-Hearing ?...

On July 24, 2025, during a hearing in the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Democratic special election congressional candidate Isaiah Martin was speaking in opposition to this GOP “redistricting”power play move. When he went over his two-minute time limit, GOP State Representative Cody Vasut, chair of this hearing, asked Martin to yield. Martin refused. At that point, Martin was thrown to the floor and arrested. GOP State Rep. Cody Vasut asked the sergeant-at-arms to remove Martin. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335234/-Jesus-Get-off-of-him-TX-18-Candidate-Isaiah-Martin-Arrested-After-Speaking-Out-At-Hearing ?...

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5421516-texas-candidate-arrested-redistricted-hearing/

As he was shoved to the ground, African American Martin yelled, “It is a shame. It’s horrific for what you have done. You should all be ashamed. America will rise up against you!” Someone yelled, “Jesus! Get off of him!” Martin was arrested and jailed for misdemeanor charges including criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, and disrupting a public meeting. He was held for 24 hours. In the end, the charges were dropped and he was freed from custody later that night. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5421516-texas-candidate-arrested-redistricted-hearing/ ,

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335234-Jesus-Get-off-of-him-TX-18-Candidate-Isaiah-Martin-Arrested-After-Speaking-Out-At-Hearing ?

Here’s Isaiah Martin.

Twenty-seven year old Houston native Isaiah Martin credits his family with instilling him with the values of service, resilience, and a strong commitment to his community. At the University of Houston, he founded the #ForTheStudents organization, an on-campus group that advocated for students’ needs. https://www.hercampus.com/culture/isaiah-martin-running-congress-2024-gen-z/

On campus, Martin spearheaded initiatives that tackled the problems of campus voting access, food insecurity, and sexual assault support. His efforts led to the creation of the Full Support partnership which provided free rape kits and resources for students across multiple Houston-area universities. When GOP Gov. Abbott made long voting lines an obstacle, Martin worked with local officials to transform the University of Houston’s football stadium into a polling location that ensured greater access to the ballot box. https://www.isaiahmartin.org/isaiah

Among Martin’s key priorities is reproductive freedom. Martin’s TX was one of the first to ban abortion in all cases, which he called “detrimental to the health and lives of pregnant people.” Martin called Gov. Abbott someone who has done “everything to try to undermine our body autonomy.” Martin said he was in favor of protecting reproductive freedom at the federal level. https://www.hercampus.com/culture/isaiah-martin-running-congress-2024-gen-z/

Martin worked for TX 18th CD (Congressional District) Dem. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee whom he considered one of his biggest role models along with his grandfather. Rep. Lee died in 2024. https://www.hercampus.com/culture/isaiah-martin-running-congress-2024-gen-z/

Her successor, Dem. Sylvester Turner, passed away in 2025.

The Lone Star 18th located in Houston’s downtown district is heavily Democratic. It was first represented by the legendary Black Rep. Barbara Jordan and currently has a deep “Blue” Cook PVI (Partisan Voting Index) score of D+21. I noted in my previous blog post of March 18, 2025 that the TX18th CD was the district where the TV show “The West Wing” (of which I was a fan) had Matt Santos as its Representative. In that show, Democrat Santos succeeded Democrat Josiah Bartlett in the Oval Office.

When Martin was thrown to the floor and arrested for discussing the key issue of TX GOP gerrymandering, many other Democratic lawmakers and candidates had already testified at the hearing attacking this redistricting and were in the audience listening to his speech. These included Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Joaquin Castro. None of them had been thrown to the ground or arrested. Only Martin was given this harsh treatment, according to Daily Kos. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335234/-Jesus-Get-off-of-him-TX-18-Candidate-Isaiah-Martin-Arrested-After-Speaking-Out-At-Hearing ?...

Apparently, an African American male powerfully invoking his 1st Amendment freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances was just too much for these TX GOPers. IMHO, the Constitution is just a mere “scrap of paper” to them.

Martin’s brother Josh stated exactly what is now going on in MAGAWORLD under Demagogue/Dictator wannabe Trump. Josh correctly stated, “I didn’t know of anybody who’s been in jail this long for using your First Amendment rights at a public testimony.” He added, “This is what happens in Donald Trump’s America. What’s happening now is that these people are trying to make an example out of my brother that whenever you go and speak out against the craziness that they’re doing, that they will go out of their way to silence anyone who dares speak out against them.” https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/25/2335234/-Jesus-Get-off-of-him-TX-18-Candidate-Isaiah-Martin-Arrested-After-Speaking-Out-At-Hearing ?...

Exactly. One wonders how worse an ordinary person speaking like that who was not politically connected would have been treated under the same circumstances.

Isaiah Martin is currently one of several people running in the November 4, 2025 special 18th CD election to replace the late Democrat Sylvester Turner, including Christian Menefee whom I previously wrote about in my March 20, 2025 blog post. Both of these candidates would be excellent replacements for the late Rep.Turner, and would be able to strongly oppose Demagogue Donald. Democrats must resist any attempts by Trump and his MAGA crowd who try to ignore our Constitution. Our democracy depends upon it.





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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/27/2335464/-TX-GOP-Legislators-Have-Democratic-Candidate-Isaiah-Martin-Treated-Roughly-and-Arrested?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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