Texas Supreme Court Rejects Abbott Bid To Oust Democrats Who Fled Over Redistricting

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to declare that Democratic lawmakers who briefly fled the state in 2025 to block a vote on new congressional maps pushed by President Donald Trump had vacated their office.

“Texas high court rejects removal of Democratic lawmakers who led quorum break over redistricting Texas high court rejects removal of Democratic lawmakers who led quorum break over redistricting AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to declare that Democratic lawmakers who briefly fled the state in 2025 to block a vote on new congressional maps pushed by President Donald Trump had vacated their office”

Associated Press

The all-Republican court rejected Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to severely punish more than 50 Democrats who bolted for New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts, and the decision left the Legislature able to restore quorum without judicial intervention.

Associated Press

In its opinion, Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote that “In the end, a quorum was restored in two weeks’ time, without judicial intervention, by the interplay of political and practical forces,” and the court said the Republican-majority Legislature had resolved the problem through measures such as fines against missing lawmakers.

The state constitution requires that at least 100 of the 150 House members be present to conduct business, and the quorum break effectively shut down a special legislative session Abbott had called to address redistricting and other issues.

The court also noted that if the issue rises again and the Legislature cannot compel lawmakers to return, it “may someday consider whether the courts should step in,” according to the Associated Press account.

Texas Democrats celebrated the ruling as a rejection of Abbott’s attempt to punish them for standing up against what they called a rigged redistricting scheme, and The Hill reported that the Texas Supreme Court shut down Abbott’s emergency petition.

In a statement shared with The Hill, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said, “Abbott sent us threats. He sent lawyers. He sicced his lapdog, Ken Paxton, on us,” framing the legal push as political intimidation rather than a judicial remedy.

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The Hill also quoted Justice James Sullivan’s view in a concurring opinion that the court could penalize lawmakers who break quorum in the future, writing, “But we should be prepared to perform this grave task if legislators refuse to do their jobs again in the future.”

Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris responded that “No elected official has the right to abandon their duties, flee the state, and shut down the people’s business,” and he said Abbott’s legal action brought Democrats back to pass the new map.

Politico similarly reported that Wu said the Republican-controlled Supreme Court told Abbott “no,” and it quoted Wu’s statement that “The Constitution does not let a Governor erase voters’ choices when their choices are inconvenient to him.”

The Texas Supreme Court’s Friday ruling came as the mid-decade redistricting fight triggered cascading efforts by both parties across the country to redraw voting maps ahead of this year’s midterm elections, with Republicans seeking to hold their slim majority in Congress.

“The return of the lawmakers allows the local Congress to reopen the controversial debate over the redesign of the electoral districts proposed by Republicans and President Trump”

EL PAÍS

The Associated Press reported that the redistricting effort kick-started national battles and gained new intensity after the U.S. Supreme Court further weakened the Voting Rights Act by no longer allowing race to be considered in how congressional and other districts are drawn.

In Texas, the court’s refusal to remove Gene Wu left open the possibility of future attempts, because the court said the Legislature had already secured attendance and restored quorum without involvement from the court.

The Texas Tribune reported that the Legislature adopted the map shortly after Democrats returned, and it said the U.S. Supreme Court approved its usage for the midterm elections after overruling a lower court’s finding that the map was racially gerrymandered.

Looking ahead, the court opinion said it could consider judicial remedies if internal political remedies prove inadequate in a future case, while Abbott’s spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said the governor would bring the same issue back to the court if lawmakers leave again.