Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Tuesday he would begin the process of removing from office Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state amid the redistricting battle if they do not meet the state House Speaker’s deadline to return to the state Capitol by Friday.
“Democrats have abandoned their offices by fleeing Texas, and a failure to respond to a call of the House constitutes a dereliction of their duty as elected officials,” Paxton said in a statement.
“Starting Friday, any rogue lawmakers refusing to return to the House will be held accountable for vacating their office. The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines. If you don’t show up to work, you get fired,” he continued.
Democratic state lawmakers fled the Lone Star State beginning on Sunday to travel to blue states including Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to deny Republicans quorum, or the minimum number of lawmakers needed present to conduct legislative business, as the GOP tries to pass the new congressional district lines.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R), in turn, called for the arrest of the Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state.
Texas Republicans released a new congressional map last week that would result in five new seats for Republicans ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Paxton is challenging incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for his seat in what has turned into one of the most closely watched Senate primaries ahead of 2026. On Tuesday, Cornyn called on the FBI to intervene to help Republicans bring back the state House Democrats.
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