Abbott Vows to Continue Calling Special Sessions Until Texas Democrats Return
'I'm authorized to call a special session every 30 days. It lasts 30 days. And as soon as this one is over, I'm gonna call another one, then another one, then another, then another one,' Abbott said during an Aug. 10 interview on 'Fox News Sunday,' amid the ongoing standoff with at least 51 Democrats who have left the state.
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Newsweek
27 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Greg Abbott Threatens to 'Eliminate' Almost Every Texas Democratic Seat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas Republican Governor Gregg Abbott has warned Democrats that he could "eliminate" 10 of his state's 12 Democratic-held seats if the two parties were to launch a nationwide battle to redraw congressional maps. Why It Matters Democrats and Republicans in the Lone Star State are embroiled in an escalating showdown over the GOP's efforts to redraw the congressional map to gain five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives as the 2026 midterms loom. President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Texas Republicans' redistricting efforts. His Republicans face vulnerabilities ahead of next year's elections and a new poll showing the president's approval rating suddenly dropping among conservatives will increase Republican worries about the midterms, and raise the stakes for both parties as they wrangle over congressional maps. President Donald Trump, left, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott field questions on July 11 in the wake of the catastrophic flooding in Kerrville, Texas. President Donald Trump, left, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott field questions on July 11 in the wake of the catastrophic flooding in Kerrville, To Know Abbott, in comments aired by KWTX News 10, said Democrats would lose any nationwide battle over redrawing congressional maps because blue states have fewer Republican districts to play with. "All those big, blue states, they've already gerrymandered. Look at the map of Illinois, look at the map of California, New York and Massachusetts and so many other blue states, they gerrymandered a long time ago, they've got nothing left with regard to what they can do," Abbott said. "And know this, if California tries to gerrymander five more districts, listen, Texas has the ability to eliminate 10 Democrats in our state. We can play that game more than they can because they have fewer Republican districts in their states," Abbott said. Texas has 38 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The GOP holds 25 and the Democrats have 12, with one vacancy. Nationally, Republicans hold 219 House seats while Democrats have 212, with four vacancies. Two seats left vacant after the deaths of two Democrats—in Arizona and Texas—will be decided in special elections in the fall. If the GOP loses both in the heavily blue districts, Democrats will inch to within three seats of a House majority, and there are several dozen competitive districts out of 435. The two parties have long traded accusations of gerrymandering, or amending maps in the interests of one side over another to create "safe" electoral seats, in various states around the country. Texas' plan to redistrict, or redraw legislative district boundaries, has in turn kicked off a broader fight between blue and red states, with at least nine, including Texas, New York and California, saying they are considering redrawing their maps, according to officials and media reports. California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has warned that if Texas Republicans follow through with their push to redistrict their state, he will retaliate by doing the same in California, which is already heavily blue. In a letter to Trump on Monday, Newsom urged the president to abandon his push, telling him he is "playing with fire" and "risking the destabilization of our democracy." What People Are Saying Trump, referring to the 2024 presidential election, told CNBC on August 5: "I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats." Newsom, in his letter to Trump on Monday, said: "If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states." What Happens Next Legal experts anticipate that any aggressive redistricting moves could prompt court challenges. Historically, lawsuits have delayed or overturned redistricting plans when courts deemed them unconstitutional or in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
California Republican bucks GOP with effort to ban mid-decade map changes for entire country
A California Republican is breaking with Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps ahead of next year's midterm elections — especially after he has become a target of Democratic retaliation in his home state. Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., filed a bill on Tuesday that would ban any redistricting efforts before 2030, pouring cold water on Republican and Democratic efforts to alter congressional maps before next November. The bill would block any new maps unless mandated by the courts and it would nullify any changes that are adopted this year. The bill comes after California Democrats hinted at widespread changes to their congressional boundaries in response to a proposed map being considered by the Texas state Legislature as early as this week. A new map in California would likely put Kiley at risk in his district as he quickly emerged as a vulnerable target. Kiley specifically mentioned California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his statement announcing the bill, but he didn't refer to similar efforts by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is actively considering changes to the Lone Star State's congressional districts. 'Gavin Newsom is trying to subvert the will of voters and do lasting damage to democracy in California,' Kiley said. 'Fortunately, Congress has the ability to protect California voters using its authority under the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This will also stop a damaging redistricting war from breaking out across the country.' The Texas Legislature was scheduled to meet this week for a special session to vote on the newly proposed map to reconfigure district lines and secure five extra GOP House seats next year. But those efforts have been delayed after state Democrats fled to blue states such as New York, Illinois and Massachusetts to block a vote on the new map. With their absence, the Texas state Legislature cannot reach a quorum, the minimum number of lawmakers required to conduct business. The Texas Legislature revealed the new boundaries last week, altering the map to create new districts in areas that President Donald Trump carried by more than 10 percentage points in the 2024 election. Most of the new districts are in heavily Hispanic areas, a crucial demographic shift that helped secure Trump's victory in November — a risky gamble if Hispanic voters lean back toward Democratic candidates next year. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in the states where the Texas lawmakers retreated have said they may redraw their states' maps in response to any changes in the Lone Star State. However, Kiley's bill would block map changes in any state — regardless of Republican or Democratic influence — and void any boundary alterations that are passed before the bill is voted on. It's not clear whether Kiley's bill will be brought to the floor for a vote, as top Republicans such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have not closed the door on the idea of redistricting to protect their slim majority next year. 'California has a problem — they have to amend the state constitution. They have to follow the law,' Johnson told Fox News last week, referring to California state laws that restrict mid-decade redistricting. 'I'm convinced the red states will and we will probably have a few more seats out of that and that's good news for me.' Republicans currently hold a 219-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, a historically slim margin that has often made it difficult for the party to advance legislation even with a Republican trifecta. With control of the White House and Senate, Republicans have enjoyed total control of Washington — something that is at risk next November. Historical trends show that the party of the sitting president typically loses control of the House during midterm elections. If Democrats manage to flip the House, it would deal a massive blow to Trump and likely thwart his agenda for his final two years.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Cornyn leans into Texas redistricting fight amid uphill reelection bid
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is leaning into the Texas redistricting battle as he seeks to fend off a conservative primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). On Tuesday, Cornyn publicly called for FBI Director Kash Patel to assist in tracking down Democrats who fled the state in protest. Two days later, the senator and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) separately confirmed that the FBI was assisting in the effort. The move to get out in front of the redistricting battle allows Cornyn to ingratiate himself with the state's deeply conservative base, who have distanced themselves from the incumbent senator in his uphill primary battle against Paxton. 'I think this is a good opportunity for Cornyn to show that he's a fighter and that's willing to take on an issue that's a red meat issue that resonates with the base. When you see those opportunities, you have to take them,' said Brendan Steinhauser, Cornyn's former campaign manager and a Texas-based GOP strategist. 'In campaigns like this, you don't get to control events. You can only control how you react and respond to them,' he continued. 'This is exactly the kind of thing he needs.' Cornyn's allies have touted the senator's move. The National Republican Senatorial Committee rolled out a digital ad titled 'Cornyn Fights, Paxton Folds.' The incumbent senator and his allies have also taken a number of swipes at Paxton in the process, pointing out that the state attorney general was in Europe as the redistricting battle erupted. Paxton had previously traveled to Scotland at the end of July and met with President Trump during his trip to his Turnberry golf course. 'Memo to @kenpaxtontx:Hey, Ken. Are you in the office today? It's kind of important. Let me know if you need the off the golf course in Scotland and do your job. President Trump and Governor Abbott need a focused AG. For once,' Cornyn said in a post on the social platform X earlier this week. An unnamed Republican strategist called Paxton's decision to stay in Europe 'a missed opportunity' but added it was not 'necessarily a vulnerability.' 'Texas Democrats doing this wasn't a surprise,' said an unnamed GOP strategist.'I'm really surprised that Paxton didn't plan better and go, 'You know what, I should probably do my visit with Trump and at least come back to Austin for a day and half.'' The same strategist argued that Cornyn's role as a federally elected official has forced him to 'cheer from the stands,' while it is easier for Paxton to get involved as a state elected official. 'It's such a state-centric issue,' the strategist said. 'If anybody, it would traditionally advantage Paxton over Cornyn just given his role in being able to use the Texas judicial system to chase these folks down.' And Paxton has emerged as a prominent voice in the fight. He initially criticized Cornyn's call for the FBI to intervene on Steve Bannon's 'War Room' podcast on Tuesday, saying it was 'purely a state issue.' But Paxton later reversed in a statement to The Hill, saying he was open to the FBI getting involved. 'I'm in full support of using every possible method to secure a quorum and hold lawless Democrat legislators accountable for abandoning Texans, including involving federal authorities and the FBI,' Paxton said. And as state attorney general, Paxton has used his office to take action against Texas Democrats. Paxton announced this week he would seek judicial orders 'declaring that runaway Democrats who fail to appear by the Speaker's deadline have vacated their office.' Additionally, Paxton said he is investigating whether former Rep. Beto O'Rourke's (D-Texas) political group is breaking laws by allegedly 'bankrolling' the state Democratic lawmakers' out-of-state travel. 'It's more about the actions he takes, it's more about the statements, it's more about having a voice in this, and you don't necessarily have to be in the state to accomplish that,' Steinhauser said. The pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC compiled mainstream media coverage of the state's redistricting saga and Paxton's response, along with conservative media figures praising the state attorney general, into a digital spot released on Friday. The redistricting battle comes as Cornyn faces the biggest fight of his political life in his bid to hold onto his seat. Outside groups backing Cornyn have spent swaths of money boosting Cornyn in recent weeks. According to The Texas Tribune, the Senate GOP leadership-affiliated One Nation has spent more than $4 million in advertising, while Texans for a Conservative Majority, another pro-Cornyn group, has spent $3.2 million. The pro-Cornyn Conservative Majority Project has spent roughly $500,000. 'They're just throwing everything at the wall possible to try to capture one poll that shows him with momentum and really gaining on Paxton,' the unnamed strategist said. 'They're doing it to get the president's attention.' Most polls have shown Cornyn consistently trailing Paxton, in many cases by double digits. Cornyn's team has maintained that there is plenty of time to close the gap by next year. There is also hope that an endorsement from Trump, who has given no indication he will wade into the primary, would boost Cornyn. 'These skirmishes on redistricting and otherwise are just bigger parts of the play for Cornyn in a mad dash to try to do anything he can to take the lead in polling,' the strategist said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
