AMNA NAWAZ: Democratic Party leaders from across the country are meeting today in Minneapolis.

They're reckoning with their 2024 losses, as well as Republican redistricting efforts in Texas and possibly elsewhere, that could make victory in the 2026 midterms even more difficult.

Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins has more.

LISA DESJARDINS: Over the weekend, the Texas state Senate sent Republican-drawn maps to the governors desk, where they await signature.

Among the key areas affected, Austin, where two Democrats, Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar, now represent neighboring districts, but in the Republican-proposed map, the shapes would change so that one is much harder for them to win.

As a result, Casar announced today he's switching into Doggett's district.

The veteran Congressman Doggett says, if this map stands, he will reluctantly retire.

And Congressman Doggett joins me now to discuss this significant moment for him and for the Democratic Party.

First of all, Congressman, the big question, why decide to retire if these maps stand?

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-TX): I think this is much bigger than Texas and it's certainly much bigger than the individual future of any elected official.

This is really about what happens to our democracy.

Trump is taking a big step here in Texas to protect himself from any accountability, to assure that he has a Congress that is as compliant as the one that he has today that will basically allow him to do whatever he wants.

He knows the midterm elections don't favor him, and so he's trying to fix those elections this year by redesigning districts, grabbing them and marching from Texas across the country to assure himself an un -- that he faces no accountability.

For me personally, yes, it's been a tough decision because I represent more than two-thirds of the district that I would defer to Congressman Casar on, and I'd really hope that he would not surrender his district in San Antonio, the end of his district in San Antonio to Trump.

I think it's a district that we must win to keep Trump from going out of Texas with five new seats.

LISA DESJARDINS: There are a lot of dynamics here.

I see you in Congress all the time.

I know you're a workhorse.

You're also among the most senior members of Congress.

And you were one of the -- you were the first Democrat to call on Joe Biden to step out of the presidential race last year.

On the other hand, Greg Casar, leader of the Progressive Caucus, he is 40 years your junior.

What do you think this decision tells people, if anything, about who can win or who should win going ahead in the Democratic Party?

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT: Well, I think it says several things.

It's important that we have a new generation of leaders.

That's one of the reasons I went out and campaigned for Congressman Casar when he was seeking his first elective office here in Austin.

And he, in turn, this year, recruited me to be a vice chair of the Progressive Caucus as part of his new leadership there.

We have been allies on matters.

I think that my call for President Biden to step aside has been pointed to by some who say, hey, you're an old guy too.

Why doesn't this mean you need to step aside?

And I think it's an indication of my willingness to step out, take a risk against the president of my own party, because not that he was too old, but that he was too ineffective and that he was not demonstrating an ability to get reelected.

I wish more of my colleagues, young and old, had joined in that early call, and we might have had a different result in the last election.

LISA DESJARDINS: I know you're watching the party overall.

Today, DNC Chairman Ken Martin called the president dictator in chief, and he also said this to Democrats in general: KEN MARTIN, Chairman, Democratic National Committee: We need to fight harder.

We need to organize smarter, and we need to make sure that people everywhere, no matter where they live, understand that the Democratic Party is their party.

The time to act is now.

The time to change is now.

The time to win real, lasting, transformative victories is right now.

LISA DESJARDINS: Kamala Harris repeatedly said, when we fight, we win.

That did not work.

Do you sense there is a specific plan from Democrats?

Are you satisfied with the message right now?

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT: I think there's more work to be done.

I would call the president the intimidator in chief, because he does not point only to party, as with his recent attacks on Chris Christie and on John Bolton.

It's anyone that challenges him in the slightest.

His intimidation, his step-by-step move to tyranny in this country places this in greater peril than at any time in my political life.

I think we refine the message by listening to people all over the country and trying to address the economic issues that they struggle with and make it clear that we're leaving no one out.

LISA DESJARDINS: Some Democratic viewers have asked me -- we have viewers across the spectrum, but Democrats have asked me, why aren't we seeing more marches, more rallies?

I know there are some in Texas, but what is your answer to that?

Why do you think there is not more action, but there seems to be a lot of talk from Democrats?

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT: Well, I can speak about my hometown here in Austin, and we have had one rally after another.

I organized one of the first ones.

We had them repeatedly over the last week about redistricting.

I think there is a need eventually to have national coordination, because this is really a national attempt by the president to militarize.

He'd take over the military, law enforcement, and be ready to use them not to fight crime, but to fight those who disagree with him.

And I'm very concerned that he begins in the nation capital, taking over the capital with his military forces, snatching students off the street with masked agents.

These are the tools of the dictator.

And we may not have achieved full dictatorship yet, but if we wait until that time, we may not be able to have the power to stop him.

LISA DESJARDINS: In our final seconds here, Governor Gavin Newsom of California is going about the sort of a different way, being very vocal on social media, very confrontational with President Trump.

My question to you is, who do you think is showing leadership in the Democratic Party right now?

Who are you listening to?

A lot of folks are looking for who that leader will be.

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT: I think we have several people.

Governor Pritzker was so helpful to our Texas representatives when they were in Illinois.

Chris Murphy is a great United States senator, speaking out especially on foreign policy issues.

But I applaud Governor Newsom for being the one governor who stood up, working with Speaker Pelosi and our California congressional colleagues, to put this referendum item on the ballot on November 4.

And that is going to be so important to whether we have the ability to take back the House next year, have the subpoena power to demand accountability, and push back and have a real check and balance on a president determined to have only one-man rule.

LISA DESJARDINS: Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas, thank you for joining us.

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT: Thank you, Lisa.