Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signaled Tuesday he will call a second special legislative session on redistricting if House Democrats continue to block a quorum by Friday.
Dozens of Democrats have fled the state to derail a Republican-led effort to redraw congressional maps that could net the GOP as many as five additional U.S. House seats. The current special session, which also addresses flood relief and other priorities, ends August 19.
Democrats can run to another state, but they can’t outrun the will of Texans.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 12, 2025
If there’s no quorum Friday, Special Session #2 will start immediately after Sine Die.
Same agenda, with potential to add more.
I’ll call special after special until the Texas first agenda is passed. pic.twitter.com/DruA8YHcrn
House Speaker Dustin Burrows set a Friday deadline for Democrats to return, warning that failure to meet quorum will end the session. Abbott pledged to reconvene lawmakers immediately with the same agenda, promising repeated special sessions until the "Texas first" plan passes.
On Tuesday, only 95 House members were present, five short of the required quorum. Lawmakers will attempt again Friday, with members instructed to remain close to the Capitol in case of an early return.
🚨 JUST IN: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sends a WARNING to Gavin Newsom, who is threatening to re-district California
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 11, 2025
“If California tries to gerrymander five more districts, Texas has the ability to eliminate TEN Democrats in our state.
We can play that game more than they can… pic.twitter.com/ChuIznI35a
