Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Supreme Court this evening to declare vacant the seat of a key Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Gene Wu, one of the 50 quorum-breaking Democratic House members who fled the state.

The redistricting battle in Texas continues to escalate as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott urged the state Supreme Court to remove state Rep. Gene Wu, the chairman of the Texas House Democratic caucus. Abbott argued that Wu has "forfeited" his office by fleeing the state along with other Democratic lawmakers to prevent the quorum necessary for Texas House to vote on enacting the new GOP-proposed congressional map -- with Republican control of the U.

Legal experts say it’s “inconsistent with the Texas Constitution” to argue that leaving the state to halt legislative action qualifies as abandoning an office.

Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to block a Republican plan for congressional redistricting are pleading for donations to help cover their costs