Texas redistricting battle escalates as Abbott asks court to remove Democratic lawmaker

have a nice day all time, I’m Sarah Jennings , and we start in Austin where the redistricting clash is now a constitutional showdown. Governor Greg Abbott is asking the Texas Supreme Court to strip State Representative Gene Wu of his seat—yes, remove him from office—after Wu and dozens of House Democrats bolted the state to break quorum and block the GOP’s redrawn congressional map.

Abbott’s filing claims Wu has “forfeited” his post by staying on the run. Wu—who chairs the House Democratic Caucus—shot back in a sharply-worded statement, saying, quote, “When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymander, my constitutional duty is to refuse to be a willing participant.” End quote.

The Governor wants a ruling by tomorrow evening—Thursday—because Republicans plan to try again Friday to convene the House and reach that elusive quorum. Two previous tries this week have already failed.
Now, the stakes stretch far beyond the Lone Star State. The GOP map could shift as many as five House seats in Republicans’ favor—enough, potentially, to keep Nancy Pelosi from reclaiming the Speaker’s gavel next year. Democrats need just three seats nationally to flip the chamber.
Meanwhile, the Texas Senate Democrats are taking their protest on the road—holding a news conference today in Massachusetts to keep the spotlight on what they call voter suppression.

Attorney General Ken Paxton is also in the fray, warning that civil arrest warrants and possible bribery charges could follow if Democrats continue soliciting donations to bankroll their absence. Paxton stresses only his office—not the Governor’s—has the authority to press those cases.
And in Washington, Republican Senator John Cornyn has asked the FBI to help locate and return the absent lawmakers. When asked about it Tuesday, former President Trump told reporters, quote, “They may have to. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back and fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.”

We’ll stay on this story throughout the day. When the Court rules—or when the next quorum call is gaveled in—we’ll bring it to you live. I’m Sarah Jennings ,