AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott wasted no time in escalating the state’s redistricting battle. Within two hours of the previous special session ending on August 15, Abbott called lawmakers back to Austin with instructions to deliver a new map.

The battle centers on Republican efforts to create as many as five additional GOP-leaning seats in next year’s midterm elections. The push comes at the direct urging of President Donald Trump, who has told Republicans that expanding their advantage in Texas is key to keeping GOP control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Speaker of the House Threatens Democrats With Arrest

Texas Speaker Dustin Burrows gaveled in the second special session on August 15, but once again, the chamber lacked the quorum needed to conduct business. Most House Democrats remain outside the state, camped out in other states, to prevent Republicans from advancing the new map.

The Democratic caucus first left Texas on August 3, launching a walkout to block passage of the proposed maps. Since departing, the group has accumulated hefty fines imposed by House leadership for every day they remain absent.

Speaker Burrows told members who were present on August 15 that he expects a quorum to be reached by August 18. He dismissed lawmakers for the weekend while warning Democrats that if they returned to Texas before the session resumes, they could face civil arrest.

Those who have refused to make quorum, I am sure you are missing home,” Burrows said. “Do not think you have permission to return to Texas and enjoy a peaceful weekend before finally showing up to work.”

Dems Emboldened by Zoom With Obama

Texas Democrats, however, don’t seem to be concerned with arrest. State Representative Gene Wu, who chairs the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said on social media that the group met with former President Barack Obama via Zoom on August 14.

Wu wrote that Democrats were encouraged by Obama’s words and “remain committed to fighting for democracy, in Texas and across the country.”

Wu elaborated in an interview with ABC News:

Having President Obama speak with us and support us is proof that when Texas House Democrats stand up and fight back, we do not stand alone. We have the support of Democrats at every level who understand that when Republicans attack voting rights in Texas, they are attacking the foundation of our democracy everywhere.”

Wu went further in blasting Republican tactics.

“The fact that we have to meet President Obama from an undisclosed location and via Zoom because of Republican threats and surveillance only proves how desperate Abbott and his extremist allies have become,” he said.

“They know their racial gerrymandering scheme is falling apart, so they are resorting to intimidation tactics. But President Obama’s support shows the whole country is watching — and Texas House Democrats will not be silenced by bullies.”

He added in a statement: “Trump thought he could easily get his way in Texas with compliant Republicans, but Democrats fought back ferociously and took the fight to Trump across America. When the legislature adjourns sine die and California introduces its maps, we will return to the House floor and to the courthouse with a clear message: the fight to protect voting rights has only just begun.”

From New Maps to Hemp to Election Crimes: A Loaded Agenda

Abbott issued a proclamation outlining 19 agenda items for Special Session #2, repeating nearly word-for-word the call from the first round. In addition to redistricting and disaster relief for Central Texas flood victims, the governor added several other highly charged priorities that IVN has been following.

One would give the state attorney general direct authority to prosecute election-related crimes. The other seeks to tighten regulation of intoxicating hemp, following Abbott’s veto of an outright ban favored by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Instead of a full prohibition, Abbott has signaled support for stricter oversight of the market.

Governor Abbott Using Strong-Arm Tactics

In a statement, Abbott condemned Democrats for fleeing the state. “Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans,” he said. “We will not back down from this fight. That is why I am calling them back today to finish the job.”

Abbott also emphasized the intensity of the fight during an interview with Texas radio host Mark Davis. “All of this is unprecedented,” Abbott said. “The Democrats were used to the old-fashioned way, where Republicans weren’t going to do anything about it. This time, we pulled out every tool in the toolbox.”

Abbott has gone a step further by asking the Texas Supreme Court to vacate Wu's seat. The high court is made up entirely of Republicans, and six of the nine justices were appointed by Abbott himself. The request highlights how the governor is using both political and legal levers to try to force Democrats back to Austin.

He is also leaning on his massive campaign war chest. Abbott has more than $86 million on hand and has used that money to run ads targeting absent Democrats. The ads accuse them of blocking disaster relief measures, a message designed to sting in the aftermath of flooding in Central Texas that killed 135 people.

Abbott Tells Fox News That Democrats Could Face Felony Bribery Charges

Abbott added another layer of pressure in comments to Fox News Digital, suggesting Democrats could face criminal exposure for accepting financial support while refusing to attend the session.

“There had been some identification of some people paying for it,” he said. “I have got to tell you, it raises a serious legal question for these officeholders, and that is, they were promised money if they did break quorum. That would be a bribe that could lead to a felony charge.”

Abbott then issued a direct warning about the consequences lawmakers may face if the allegations are substantiated:

These House members are going to be facing not just the challenges of having to come back and deal with the consequences of their failure to be here but also deal with potential bribery charges against them.”

The governor has also signaled that he is prepared for a long fight. He alone has the authority to summon lawmakers into special sessions and has warned that he will continue to do so until Republicans prevail. In addition, he has threatened to expand his efforts by going after even more than five Democratic-held districts if the current stalemate drags on.

California Prepares Its Counterpunch

Ironically, Texas Democrats oppose gerrymandering at home while supporting it in California, where party leaders in the Golden State are preparing to redraw maps if Texas presses forward. Even Common Cause, which denounces Republican gerrymandering in Texas, has publicly backed Democratic efforts to engineer favorable maps in California. 

Governor Gavin Newsom has defended his recent moves by saying Texas “drew first blood,” which he argues more than justifies California’s robust response.

Newsom’s plan would let the California Legislature draw maps for 2026, 2028, and 2030, before handing control back to its voter-approved, independent redistricting commission.

Newsom has framed his counterpunch as both practical and principled. If Republicans in Texas and other states are going to rig the maps, California should, too. “It’s always the right thing to do the right thing,” Newsom told reporters on August 8, even as his critics argue the numbers don’t justify the gamble.

However, independent voters in California may not be eager to hand politicians the keys to redistricting again. A new Citrin Center / UC Berkeley Possibility Lab / POLITICO poll shows independents oppose Newsom’s plan by a nearly three-to-one margin. Seventy-two percent (72%) want to keep the independent redistricting commission.

Only 28% are willing to let the Legislature take back control of congressional map drawing.

Abbott Says Newsom’s Threat is “Hollow”

In an interview with Ben Shapiro on August 14, Abbott said he thinks Newsom “is really doing nothing more than to posture himself as a Democrat nominee for the presidency.”

“Unlike in Texas, in California, it requires a constitutional amendment for them to even be able to draw new lines. And he’s seeking it, that constitutional amendment, but I don’t think he’s gonna get it. He does not have the ease that Texas has in passing these new lines.”

And you know one thing that was really exposed in the aftermath of America learning that Texas is redrawing our Congressional lines: what’s been exposed is the gerrymandering that exists in California, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts.”

“I don’t think California can gerrymander any more than what they’ve already done. They’ve already removed all the Republicans they can remove," he concluded. "And so, I think it’s nothing more than a hollow threat. He’s trying to get some attention. He’s trying to get some support for his presidential campaign, and nothing more than that.”