Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued 13 Democrats, claiming their strike to block the GOP map represents abandonment of their offices.
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EL PASO, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit inaugurating 13 Democrats amid ongoing positions to redraw the U.S. House District to help President Donald Trump and the GOP maintain a majority in the mid-2026 period.
The lawsuit, filed in the Texas Supreme Court on August 8, alleges that the long absence of Democrats amounts to abandonment of elected offices. The 13 Texas Democrats were part of the terms of lawmakers who left the state on August 2 to deny Republicans.
The map, which was demanded by Trump and pushed through by Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, is designed to give Republicans five new Texas seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the November 2026 election.
Paxton targeted lawmakers from Texas’ most populous cities, including Austin, Houston and Dallas.
“The fraudulent Democrats who have fled the state have abandoned their duties and left their seats open,” Paxton, who runs for the US Senate in 2026 against incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn, said in a news release.
“These ward sick people intentionally obstructed the constitutional process and violated the oath they had sworn to endorse. Their out-of-state rebellion was not checked and Texas business must continue,” Paxton added.
The lawsuit acknowledges the Texas Constitution to grant minority legislators the right to “resist the legislation,” but similarly argues that the constitution allows majority parties to be forced to attend to ensure that state projects are implemented.
“The Texas Constitution, laws and regulations provide a wide range of tools for members of legislative minority to listen,” the lawsuit states. “However, these tools do not include coordinated efforts by minority members to disrupt the functions of Congress, including inducing the constitutional authority of the remaining members. They include forcing members of Congress to force arrest warrants. They abandon and abandon their office.”
Here are 13 democratic state lawmakers targeted by Paxton:
- State Assemblyman Ron Reynolds, D-Misouri City
- State Assemblyman James Tarico, D-Austin
- State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin
- State Assemblyman Lulu Flores, D-Austin
- State Senator Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin
- State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Plano
- State Assemblyman Sleman Lalani, D-Houston
- State Assembly John Beussie III, D-Austin
- State Assemblyman Chris Turner, D-Arlington
- State legislator Jean Wu, D-Houston
- State Rep. Ana Maria Ramos, D-Dallas
- State Senator Christina Morales, D-Haulton
- State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, D-Dallas
Paxton said 13 Democrats “have essentially confirmed the basis for this legal action in their own words as they committed an official statement regarding their refusal to return,” according to a news release.
In addition to the lawsuit, Paxton has also moved to enforce arrest warrants in other states and is now launching an investigation into voting advocacy groups from former governor candidate Beto O’Rourke and the Texas majority PAC, claiming it is an illegal financial impact scheme to break Quorum from the “illegal financial impact scheme” from the Texas majority PAC for what he claims.
O’Rourke, a former US representative for El Paso, challenged Paxton and others who were working to rebuild the map of Congress in the hopes of electing more Republicans.
“The man who was blasted for bribery is on the way after those trying to stop theft of five Capitols,” O’Rourke wrote in an X post on Wednesday, August 6th.
Adam Powell covers the government and politics of the El Paso Times and can be contacted by email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
