Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pressing forward in his fight to hold Democrats accountable after they fled the state to derail the GOP’s redistricting plan — a move aimed at expanding the Republican House majority ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Abbott took the extraordinary step of petitioning the Texas Supreme Court to remove Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, from office. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar suit targeting Wu and 12 other Democrats, and the court has now consolidated the two cases.

On Monday, the all-Republican court rejected Abbott’s request for an expedited 48-hour ruling, instead setting a three-week schedule for both sides to submit briefs, with final responses due September 4 — well after the current special session is expected to end.

Abbott nevertheless called the move a win, saying the schedule brings the “ring leader of the derelict Democrats … closer to consequences.” Paxton echoed the sentiment, pledging to work with the governor to “hold these cowards accountable.”

The standoff began August 3 when dozens of Texas House Democrats fled the state to break quorum and block a vote on the GOP’s proposed congressional map. That map — championed by President Donald J. Trump — would add five Republican-leaning seats, strengthening the party’s narrow majority in the U.S. House.

Democrats decry the mid-decade redistricting as “partisan,” despite decades of their own gerrymandering in deep-blue states. Breaking quorum is their only weapon to halt the legislation, but it’s a tactic without precedent for triggering removal from office in Texas.

Wu’s attorneys argue his absence reflects the will of his constituents and does not constitute resignation. “His presence in another state is not a voluntary resignation — as his opposition to this petition makes evident,” they said in a filing.

The Texas Supreme Court — made up entirely of Republicans, many appointed by Abbott — now faces political pressure to deliver a ruling that could reshape the Legislature’s ability to punish lawmakers for abandoning their duties.

Time is running short. Speaker Dustin Burrows has warned that if the House fails to reach quorum by Friday, he will adjourn so Abbott can call another special session. With key election deadlines approaching — including some as early as September 9 — Republicans have only a narrow window to pass the Trump-backed map before the 2026 midterm calendar makes redistricting politically irrelevant.