BREAKING: Texas AG Ken Paxton followed through on his threat to ask courts to remove quorum-breaking Dems from office [View all]

[In It to Win It]

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/texas-ag-files-lawsuit-seeking-to-remove-13-state-democrats-from-office/

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) followed through Friday on his threat to ask courts to remove quorum-breaking Democrats from office, as a group of state lawmakers continues to hold their ground to block a GOP redistricting scheme.

With Texas Republicans rushing through a mid-decade redistricting process to give the GOP five more seats in Congress in 2026, Democratic lawmakers are using their only tool to stop the proposed congressional map: leave the state so Republicans don’t have enough members present to hold a vote. Now, Paxton is asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove 13 of those Democrats from office, days after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) filed a similar lawsuit.

Abbott’s petition asked the court to remove Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, from office and declare his seat vacant. Paxton’s lawsuit filed Friday expands that request to include a dozen more lawmakers.

Democrats targeted by Paxton’s lawsuit include: Wu, Rep. Ron Reynolds, Rep. Vikki Goodwin, Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Rep. James Talarico, Rep. Lulu Flores, Rep. Mihaela Plesa, Rep. Suleman Lalani, Rep. Chris Turner, Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, Rep. John Bucy III and Rep. Christina Morales.

🚨BREAKING: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) followed through Friday on his threat to ask courts to remove quorum-breaking Democrats from office, as a group of state lawmakers continues to hold their ground to block a GOP redistricting scheme. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

— Marc Elias (@marcelias.bsky.social) 2025-08-08T19:59:59.424Z