Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sues To Remove Democratic Rep In Redistricting Fight

Texas’ redistricting saga has escalated once more, as Gov. Greg Abbott has filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court to remove Democratic Rep. Gene Wu from his seat in the state House.

According to NBC News, Abbott’s suit argues that Wu violated the state Constitution by fleeing the state and has effectively abandoned his seat. “Representative Wu has openly renounced these constitutional mandates by fleeing the State of Texas to break quorum, obstruct legislative proceedings, and paralyze the Texas House of Representatives,” Abbott’s lawsuit says. 

“Absconding from the State during a constitutionally mandated session, not for lawful cause, but for the very purpose of subverting the Legislature’s ability to function, constitutes a flagrant violation of Wu’s oath and is an intentional abandonment of his constitutional duty,” it adds.

If the mid-decade redistricting hasn’t driven home the fact that Texas Republicans don’t care about democracy, Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to remove an elected official from office because they won’t disenfranchise voters makes it apparent. In addition to the lawsuit, Gov. Abbott has also ordered the civil arrest of the legislators who fled the state. 

State Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the state Supreme Court clerk asking them not to dismiss Abbott’s lawsuit until after Friday. He acknowledged in the letter that only the attorney general, a state attorney, or a county attorney has the authority to file lawsuits similar to the one Gov. Greg Abbott filed. Paxton has given the Texas Democrats until Friday to return to the state, after which he will initiate legal proceedings to declare their seats vacant. 

Wu released a statement on Tuesday afternoon pushing back against Gov. Abbott’s claims. “Let me be unequivocal about my actions and my duty. When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymandered map, my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant,” Wu said.

“Denying the governor a quorum was not an abandonment of my office; it was a fulfillment of my oath. Unable to defend his corrupt agenda on its merits, Greg Abbott now desperately seeks to silence my dissent by removing a duly-elected official from office.” 

The Texas redistricting fight began last month after Gov. Greg Abbott declared a special legislative session under the guise of providing relief for Texans affected by the devastating floods over the Fourth of July weekend. Democratic officials in Texas and nationwide were shocked when redistricting was listed as a legislative priority for the session. Redistricting usually happens once every 10 years, with Texas having redrawn its map in 2021. 

The move to draft a new map was at the behest of President Trump, who is seeking to maintain the GOP’s narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms. Texas Republicans revealed their new map last week, which would create five new, Republican-leaning districts. 

Texas Democrats fled the state on Sunday to break quorum and stall the vote on the new map. The majority of the representatives fled to Illinois, with several others going to Albany, New York, and Boston. The rhetoric from Texas Republicans over the redistricting fight has only escalated tensions. A bomb threat was made Wednesday morning at an Illinois hotel where several Texas Democrats are currently staying. The hotel was quickly evacuated, and no one was injured. 

Texas state Rep. Ann Johnson released a statement addressing the bomb threat. “Early this morning, a bomb threat forced us to evacuate our hotel. Thankfully, no one was harmed. But this is the kind of danger that comes from reckless rhetoric. When the Attorney General tells people to ‘hunt us down,’ it’s not just politics — it’s a threat to our safety,” Johnson’s statement read. 

Beyond the cruelty of the bomb threat, what I find most frustrating about this development is the fact that average people are this gung-ho about disenfranchising voters. The very same people with very strong opinions about standing for the National Anthem, have “We the people” bumper stickers, and talk about being a patriot, are the same ones actively celebrating efforts to undermine the constitutional rights of people they disagree with. 

I’m not surprised, considering who the American people elected as president. It’s just baffling that a significant part of the population truly doesn’t see how Texas’s redistricting effort is setting a precedent that will be bad for all Americans, not just Democrats. 

SEE ALSO:

Texas Creates 5 New House Seats In Areas Trump Won In 2024

Texas Dems Fight Redistricting Effort Through Filibusters

Texas State Dems Break Quorum To Prevent Redistricting Vote

Critics Call Texas Governor’s New Congressional Map Gerrymandering

Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Arrest Of Texas Democrats