Hakeem Jeffries threatens lawsuit over delayed Texas special election

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

April 2, 2025, 3:44 PM EDT / Updated April 2, 2025, 6:42 PM EDT


House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is threatening a lawsuit against Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for holding off on calling a special election to fill a vacant House seat in Houston, which Democrats allege is a deliberate move designed to help pad the GOP’s razor-thin majority.

In a response to a question from NBC News on Wednesday, Jeffries said it’s “very likely” that they will pursue litigation against Abbott, who has yet to set a date for an election to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, after he died in early March. Asked if he thought Abbott was deliberately delaying the the special election in Texas' solidly Democratic 18th District, Jeffries said "yes."

Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, said in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday: “An announcement on a special election will be made at a later date.” Christian Menefee, the Harris County attorney and Democrat who is planning to run for the seat, has also said he would sue Abbott if he didn’t call for a special election soon.

“Nearly 800,000 Houstonians are without a voice in Congress. Abbott has called emergency elections before—he just doesn’t want to do it here,” Menefee posted on X on Wednesday, accusing Abbott of trying to keep the seat open to benefit the Trump administration and House Republicans. “Congress is voting on critical issues. TX-18 deserves a representative now—not months from now,”Menefee said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/hakeem-jeffries-threatens-lawsuit-delayed-texas-special-election-rcna199362

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Well played

Hakeem

Force them (The Maga Party) to spend money NOW.

[Paladin]

2. GOOD!

Take it to Abbott's doorstep; make the little weasel do what's needed.

[William769]

3. K&R!

[mwmisses4289]

4. Good! I was wondering if someone could sue his ass off over this.

Hoped it would be some voters from that district or the state dem party. Is the gov in violation of both state and federal law?

[LuvLoogie]

5. Just sue. Don't talk about you're going to.

Sue and explain later. Or just direct them to the court filing.

Fuck all this talking about what you might do.

Just do it.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. This generates "extra" time in the news cycle

I.e., first "the threat", and then "the actual suing".

(the media is good at "disappearing" stories unless they are negative against Democrats)

[LuvLoogie]

16. Don't threaten; just do it, or don't do it.

Then announce. Fuck the news cycle.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Well I see complaints on DU about

"What are Democrats doing?????!11!!!!111?"

So we need to "be in the news cycle" or the complaints are going to continue, despite us doing something but it's "not reported".

[Scrivener7]

7. What is the point of "threatening?" Just do it.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Provides an extra day in the news cycle

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3432579

[Scrivener7]

10. Not a good idea when communicating with a base that is sick to death of "strongly worded letters."

We don't need a weak response in the news cycle. We'd do better with a strong message for a day less.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Until we buy our own media (instead of using our money to "help people" )

this action would never see the light of day unfortunately.

[Scrivener7]

12. I disagree. It would be as much in the news as this threat is. Likely much more.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Look what it took for Cory Booker to "get in the news"

(breaking a record for a speech in the Senate)

The GOP is spinning and distracting like mad. I have over 3 dozen news sites in tabs and keep finding stories supposedly "published" yesterday, that were NOT there at the time claimed because they were completely buried under an avalanche of "distraction". I.e., instead of linking to that story on their main page, they would have 5 or 6 links to articles relating to ONE story, thus blocking out the links to other news stories.

[Scrivener7]

14. All the more reason not to put out a message of, "Hey, we might take some action against this sometime in the future."

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Legally, the other issue is getting the suit automatically tossed

if something "has" or "has not" happened. He can file and then suddenly an election is "scheduled" making the suit moot. He can do it if the "threat" doesn't garner the desired outcome (and would now have proof that attempts were made to get the process going).

I don't know offhand what the special election law is in TX (haven't had chance to look it up), but do know that Jeffries IS a lawyer himself.

[Hotler]

9. Yes. Just do it. Blindside them at every chance. Keep our strategy to ourselves, then pounce.

If we don't have the votes, keep them off balance and guessing.

[Bengus81]

17. Same as when Turtle wouldn't let Obama get a new SC pick? Way to go Jeffries

FIGHT back against this NAZI regime every day.