Abbott Has New Warning For Dems Who Fled Texas Amid Redistricting Battle

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is warning Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on a new Congressional map.

Paxton discussed the Friday deadline for Democratic lawmakers to return to Texas and the consequences of not doing so on Fox & Friends.

“Texas Democrats must return to the Lone Star State today or face serious consequences. Some Democrats say they won’t budge. Texas attorney Ken Paxton joins us. Will we see them in handcuffs by the end of today?” co-host Carly Simpkins asked.

“I don’t know. We’re waiting to see if they show up. Our speaker is giving them a deadline to show up today. If they show up, we’re happy, can get business done and everything is good. If they do not show up, we will be in an Illinois courtroom to get them back to the state of Texas, hold them in contempt, if they refuse, hopefully put them in jail,” Paxton said.

“I heard you talk about trying to get them removed from office, is that still a possibility? How would that play out?” Simpkins asked.

Paxton responded, “It has never been done before, we’re in unchartered territory with Democrats leaving during redistricting. That is something we’ll do today, file a motion to remove these legislators from office and overtime we’ll add more to it. Right now we’re hoping they will show up, if they don’t, there will be action taken by today.”

WATCH:

DEMOCRAT DEADLINE DAY: Texas Democrats must return to the Lone Star State today or face serious consequences after they fled to boycott the redistricting vote.
Texas Attorney General @KenPaxtonTX joined us to discuss the next steps. pic.twitter.com/GuWhs0Q434

— Fox & Friends First (@FoxFriendsFirst) August 8, 2025

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday threatened to push for even more GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas if Democrats continue to block a mid-decade redistricting efforts.

In an episode of the “Ruthless Podcast” released Friday, Abbott was asked how he expects the ongoing standoff with Democrats to end.

“The Democrats always come back,” Abbott said. “It could be tomorrow, it could be next week. It could be next month. They’re going to come back or we’ll be able to track them down. One way or the other, they’re coming back, and it’s going to end with these maps being passed.”

“If they don’t start showing up, I may start expanding it. We may make it six or seven or eight new seats we’re going to be adding on the Republican side,” he continued.

Dozens of Democrats have fled Texas, leaving the state GOP unable to form a quorum of lawmakers required to conduct business and vote to adopt the congressional plan, which would give Republicans 5 extra GOP-leaning congressional seats in the Lone Star State ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Following that, the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives issued civil arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers who had fled the state, and Abbott requested that state troopers assist in locating and apprehending them.

Abbott has also sued to oust the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) claimed on Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel granted his request for FBI agents to assist in locating the Democratic lawmakers who fled the state.

While Abbott declined to say whether the FBI should have a role in ending the impasse, he told NBC News on Thursday evening that Republicans will “use every tool that we can to make sure that these runaway Democrats are going to be held accountable.”

AbAbbott also defended the redistricting effort, citing the results of the 2024 presidential election, in which Trump received over 56% of the vote.

“A lot of people who voted Republican, who voted for Donald Trump, were trapped into Democrat districts,” Abbott told NBC. “When you look at the facts, when you look at the law, there is every reason to go ahead and draw the lines so that we can assure that every voter is going to have the opportunity to vote for their candidate of choice.”

Republicans are attempting to broaden their redistricting efforts beyond Texas. Vice President JD Vance paid a visit to Indiana on Thursday, meeting with Gov. Mike Braun (R) and other local leaders as part of the White House’s push to pressure conservative states to redraw their maps.

Meanwhile, the Republican Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives formed a redistricting committee.