Democrat House leader Jeffries threatens to sue Texas Gov Abbott over House seat special election

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is threatening to sue Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott for having yet to schedule a special election to fill the seat of fellow Democrat Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died last month. 

Jeffries said in a Wednesday interview with NBC News that Democrats would “very likely" pursue legal action against Abbott.

He and other Democrats think Abbott is deliberately delaying holding the election. The seat cannot be filled until a special election for it is held and a winner is declared. 

Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement: “An announcement on a special election will be made at a later date.”

Turner died March 5. He was 70.

Christian Menefee, a Democrat and attorney who said he would run for Turner's congressional seat, also threatened legal action. 

"Abbott’s silence is suppression," Menefee wrote on the social media platform X. "Doing nothing is disenfranchising. Time to fight!"

Texas law doesn’t appear to have a deadline to call a special election after such a vacancy, NBC also reports. Special elections typically take place in already-scheduled elections in Texas. The deadline to have a special election for Turner's seat in the state's coming May election has already passed, and the next election date is in November.