Texas capitol building by Franky Magana / Unsplash
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott filed an emergency lawsuit with the state Supreme Court the evening of Aug. 5, seeking to remove House Democrats who fled the Lone Star state two days earlier to block a Republican-led redistricting plan.
Abbott accused House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu of leading the walkout and abandoning the districts that lawmakers are supposed to represent. The lawsuit invokes a writ of quo warranto, a legal action that challenges a person’s right to hold public office.
The court ordered Wu to respond to the lawsuit by 5 p.m. Aug. 8, Abbott said.
In an Aug. 4 FOX News interview, Abbott said the absent Democrats had traveled to New York and Illinois to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass a redistricting map that could give the GOP five more congressional seats. As CatholicVote previously reported, the Democratic lawmakers pledged to stay out of state until the 30-day special session ends in two weeks.
Abbott framed the move as ironic, calling New York and Illinois “two hallmark states” of partisan gerrymandering aimed at eliminating Republicans. He also accused the lawmakers of holding legislation “hostage” and blocking flood relief efforts.
On Aug. 5, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, announced he had filed a notice supporting the lawsuit and warned that more legal action could follow.
“Texas is taking every available avenue to force runaway Democrats to return to Texas and hold them accountable for breaking quorum,” Paxton said. “I have alerted the Texas Supreme Court that I will be making additional filings on Friday if the Democrats continue to abandon their legislative duties.”
Wu responded to the suit late Aug. 5 in a statement Texas Tribune reporter Kayla Guo posted on X.
“When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymandered map,” Wu said, according to Guo, “my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant.”
Before filing the lawsuit, Abbott warned the absent lawmakers would face removal if they didn’t return by 3 p.m. Aug. 4. That afternoon, the Texas House voted 85-6 to approve civil arrest warrants, and Abbott directed state police to arrest the fugitive Democrats, CatholicVote reported.
