Abbott Delays Calling a Special House Election. Democrats Cry Foul.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is facing backlash from Democrats after he announced he would delay calling a special House election following the resignation of a Republican lawmaker.

Rep. Drew Springer, a Republican from Muenster, recently won a special election for a state Senate seat, leaving his House seat vacant. According to state law, the governor is required to call a special election to fill the vacancy within 20 days of the seat becoming vacant.

However, Governor Abbott has indicated that he will not call a special election until the regular legislative session begins in January. This decision has sparked outrage from Democrats, who argue that the constituents of House District 68 are being disenfranchised by not having representation in the state House.

Democrats have accused Governor Abbott of playing politics and trying to gain an advantage by delaying the special election. They argue that the people of House District 68 deserve to have their voices heard in the legislature and that their concerns and needs should not be ignored.

In a statement, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said, “Greg Abbott is trying to manipulate the rules to keep Texans from having a voice in their government. This is a blatant abuse of power and a disservice to the people of House District 68.”

Governor Abbott’s office has defended the decision, stating that calling a special election during the holiday season would be costly and burdensome for election officials. They have also pointed out that the regular legislative session is just a few weeks away, so the delay in calling the special election is not significant.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the delay, the controversy surrounding the special election has put a spotlight on the issue of election integrity and the importance of ensuring that all voters have fair and equal representation in government.

As the debate continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Governor Abbott’s decision will impact the residents of House District 68 and whether Democrats will take further action to challenge the delay in calling a special election.