Paxton to seek judicial orders declaring that absent Texas Dems have vacated offices

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday announced that he would seek judicial orders declaring that state Democrats who do not return to the legislature by the state House speaker's deadline have vacated their offices.

"The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines. If you don’t show up to work, you get fired," he said.

Texas Democrats have fled the state in a bid to deny Republicans a quorum and thereby prevent a redistricting effort expected to favor Republicans. State legislators have since voted to order the sergeant at arms to return the Democrats to the legislature under the authority of an arrest warrant.

The showdown comes as Republicans are expected to add as many as five GOP-leaning districts, which could prove a pivotal development for the midterm elections in 2026. Ohio is also expected to implement redistricting and several Democratic states have threatened to do so in retaliation.