Isaiah Martin, a candidate for Congress in Texas, found himself in handcuffs after a tense redistricting hearing in Austin, where he refused to back down. He has since been released.
Isaiah Martin, a Democratic congressional candidate, faced forcible removal from a Texas House redistricting hearing on Thursday. He was arrested after he declined to yield the microphone during a tense confrontation at the Capitol.
Martin, 27, is campaigning to represent Texas’ 18th Congressional District—a position once occupied by the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston), who passed away in March. In a brief two-minute statement at the House Redistricting Committee meeting, Martin criticized the Republican-led initiatives to alter congressional maps, labeling them as “illegal gerrymandering.”
As Martin went over his allotted time and persisted in speaking despite his microphone being turned off, Republican Committee Chair Rep. Cody Vasut took decisive action and ordered his removal. During the attempt to remove him, Martin put up a struggle, resulting in a tumultuous altercation where a sergeant-at-arms ended up on top of him.
“It is unfortunate. It is truly shocking. For what you have—” Martin yelled before being pulled away, causing the crowd to gasp and shout in response.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has confirmed that Martin was booked on charges including criminal trespass, disrupting a meeting, and resisting arrest.
Videos of the event rapidly circulated online, with advocates asserting that Martin was upholding his constitutional freedoms. On Friday, his brother revealed that all charges had been dismissed, stating that Isaiah was “made an example” and emphasized that the candidate voluntarily exited after being taken into custody.
Martin, who previously worked for the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, is among eight Democrats competing for the Houston-area seat in an upcoming special election.
Even with the charges being dismissed, the intense situation has heightened existing tensions surrounding Texas’s contentious mid-cycle redistricting process—which opponents argue seeks to reduce the power of voters of color.
