House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday that Democrats are “very likely” to sue Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, accusing him of deliberately delaying a special election to fill a House seat that’s been vacant for nearly a month.
Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas died on March 5, at age 70, just two months into his term. But Abbott has yet to announce a special election date and has missed the deadline for the race to be held on May 3, Texas’ next available election date. That means the seat for Texas’ 18th Congressional District might not be filled until November.
In an interview with NBC News, Jeffries didn’t mince words, flat-out accusing Abbott of dragging his feet to help Republicans cling to their razor-thin House majority—especially as more members grow frustrated with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
When asked directly if he believed Abbott was intentionally stalling, Jeffries simply said, “Yes.”
