Democrat Gene Wu can keep House seat, Texas Supreme Court rules

Key Points:

• The Texas Supreme Court rejected Gov. Greg Abbott’s attempt to remove Houston Rep. Gene Wu and other Democratic lawmakers from office for breaking quorum, stating the Legislature resolved the issue without court involvement.
• Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock emphasized the courts' reluctance to interfere in political disputes between branches, reinforcing that such matters are for the Legislature to handle internally.
• The Democrats had left Texas in August to block passage of a GOP-led mid-decade redistricting map designed to increase Republican U.S. House seats, a move Abbott challenged legally but ultimately failed to overturn.
• The court left open the possibility of intervening in future quorum breaks but upheld that current constitutional and legislative remedies were sufficient to restore legislative function.
• Democratic lawmakers, including Wu, celebrated the ruling as a defense of voters’ choices, while Abbott warned against future quorum-breaking tactics and pledged continued legal efforts if they recur.