Texas Attorney General and Governor Pursue Removal of Democratic Representatives from Office

In an unprecedented move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on August 8, 2025, asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove 13 Democratic state representatives from office. These lawmakers had left the state to break quorum and block a vote on a controversial Republican-drawn redistricting plan that would likely add five GOP seats to Congress.

Paxton argues that by leaving, these representatives effectively abandoned their offices and violated their constitutional duties. According to his office, the actions of the legislators demonstrate an intent to relinquish and abandon their offices, and that the alternative would empower a minority faction to disrupt the operation of the chamber.

This legal action follows a similar earlier petition by Governor Greg Abbott targeting one Democratic representative, Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic leader. Paxton's lawsuit expands the scope to include 13 Democrats who were particularly vocal about opposing the redistricting plan. The case is positioned as a step to resume legislative business at the Texas Capitol and move forward with the redistricting process.

Democratic lawmakers and their allies have strongly opposed these lawsuits, calling them politically motivated and without legal merit. Gene Wu and other Democrats contend that only the Texas House itself—through a two-thirds majority vote—has the constitutional power to expel members, not the judiciary. Wu filed a response asking the court to reject both Abbott’s and Paxton’s suits, warning against judicial overreach in legislative affairs.

The Democrats view the quorum break as a legitimate legislative tactic to oppose what they call a discriminatory map. As of mid-August 2025, the political standoff persists, with Democrats continuing their quorum break and Republicans pushing for legal and legislative measures to compel their return. Texas lawmakers who remain absent have also faced financial penalties such as the suspension of direct deposits.

The 13 legislators named as defendants in the lawsuit include Democratic state Reps. Ron Reynolds, Vikki Goodwin, Gina Hinojosa, James Talarico, Lulu Flores, Mihaela Plesa, Suleman Lalani, Chris Turner, Ana-Maria Ramos, Jessica Gonzalez, John Bucy III, Gene Wu, and Christina Morales. Paxton lambasted the Democratic lawmakers as "cowards" on social media, saying that they had deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process.

The changes proposed by the conservative-dominated legislature are claimed by Democrats to heavily favor conservative candidates. Some of the defendants have since characterized the round of filings as indicative of desperation. Rep. Wu, a defendant in both lawsuits, said that the Texas Supreme Court should put to rest the notion that the judiciary can expel a member of the House of Representatives. Chris Talarico, another defendant, openly taunted his conservative rivals on social media. Bucy claimed that Texas Republicans are doing everything they can to cling to power and subvert the will of millions of Americans.

In summary, the lawsuit filed by Ken Paxton is part of an unprecedented and escalating battle over redistricting in Texas, involving aggressive legal challenges aimed at removing quorum-breaking Democrats from office to advance a GOP-favored redistricting plan. The case raises significant constitutional questions about separation of powers and legislative procedures.

Texas Attorney General and Governor Pursue Removal of Democratic Representatives from Office