Abbott Moves To Oust Democrat Who Led Texas Walkout Stunt
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking aggressive legal action to remove Democrat State Representative Gene Wu from office after Wu led a high-profile walkout aimed at obstructing Republican redistricting efforts. Abbott filed a formal petition with the Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday, calling Wu’s conduct a clear violation of constitutional duty and demanding immediate removal.
Wu, who serves as House Democratic Caucus Chair, fled the state with over 50 other Democrats on Sunday to Illinois in an attempt to break quorum and block a vote on new congressional maps. The GOP-backed redistricting plan is expected to deliver five new seats to Republicans — a major boost heading into the 2026 midterms.
In his legal brief, Abbott warned that allowing a handful of lawmakers to shut down the legislature sets a dangerous precedent. “If representatives are free not to show up whenever they choose, then Texans simply do not have a representative government. In fact, they don’t have a functioning government at all,” he wrote.
The governor’s suit argues that fleeing during a constitutionally mandated session amounts to a “forfeiture of office.” It also accuses Wu of soliciting donations to cover the $500-per-day fine for absentee lawmakers — which Abbott says crosses into “bribery” territory.
Abbott made it clear that the redistricting fight is about the future of Texas — and representative democracy. “What is at stake here? Nothing less than the future of Texas,” he declared. “This Court should make clear that a legislator who does not wish to perform his duties will be stripped of them.”
Wu responded to the lawsuit by portraying himself as a righteous resistor. “Let me be unequivocal about my actions and my duty,” Wu said. “When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymandered map, my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant.”
The map in question would give Republicans a serious advantage by redrawing Democratic districts into red territory. President Trump, who carried Texas by a wide margin in both 2016 and 2020, has fully endorsed the plan.
“We are entitled to five more seats,” Trump said during an interview. “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we have really good people there. We’re not going to let Democrats cheat their way into holding those seats.”
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom has jumped into the fray, vowing retaliation if the Texas plan advances. “We’ll fight fire with fire,” Newsom threatened, suggesting a November ballot initiative to redraw California’s congressional map to punish Republicans.
With court battles looming and tensions flaring between red and blue states, the Texas standoff has become a flashpoint in the national war over political power — and Abbott’s bold move could set the tone for how Republicans respond when Democrats attempt to subvert the legislative process by simply walking away.