When asked Wednesday at a press conference whether Abbott was “deliberately” holding up the election for political reasons, Jeffries said “yes” and affirmed that House Democrats are “very likely” to challenge Abbott’s decision in court.

Jeffries told the New York Times that “Abbott is slow-walking the special election to replace Sylvester Turner” to preserve House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) slim GOP majority. “They are rigging the system.”

The Washington Examiner spoke with Isaiah Martin and Amanda Edwards, candidates running for Turner’s seat. They both expressed their support for Jeffries and distaste for the governor’s handling of the election.

“This is straight-up taxation without representation,” Martin told the Washington Examiner. “Greg Abbott is playing partisan politics and depriving our district of a vote, I’m sure, because he knows we’re unapologetically opposed to Trump’s disastrous agenda that’s destroying our economy and making our country weaker every single day.”

“Their policies are making Republicans defect every day, so they have to pull this partisan stunt to preserve their margins,” he continued. “My message to the governor: Don’t be a wuss. Set the election date so we can get to work cleaning up the mess you made in D.C.!”

Houston Democrats told the Washington Examiner that Republicans have been saying the governor will wait until November to hold the special election, but Abbott has been radio silent. The Washington Examiner reached out to Abbott but did not receive a comment.  

“I think Democrats need to be all hands on deck in this moment because this is of paramount importance to the people of this district,” Edwards said. “The needs of this community are urgent, and so, therefore, we need to utilize whatever tools available to pursue representation for the district.”

As of this week, House Republicans hold a slim majority of 218 to 213. However, that number changed after Republicans won two open seats in Florida on Tuesday. The tight majority has been a pressure point for House GOP leadership, leaving them with little to no wiggle room for error on every bill. Just last week, the White House pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) nomination to be U.N. ambassador to ensure her vote as Johnson tries to pass President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The Houston race has become crowded, with at least 11 candidates vying for the seat.

The Democrats who have filed paperwork to run are Martin, Edwards, Christian Menefee, Robert Slater, James Joseph, Earnest Clayton, Kivan Polimis, and Selena Samuel. One Republican, Cyrus Sajna, is in the race for what should be a safe blue seat, and two Independents, Khristopher Beal and Derrell Turner, are also in it.

Turner, a freshman member of Congress, recovered from bone cancer in 2022 and announced he was “cancer-free.” Turner filled the vacancy following the death of longtime House Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee. Turner was both a former mayor of Houston and a Texas state representative.

Following Lee’s death, the governor called a special election soon after her service concluded, but this time proved different.

State law requires Abbott to schedule the special election within about two months after he calls it if it is held as an emergency election. However, there is no set deadline for when the governor has to make the initial announcement. Texas’s 18th Congressional District is a safe seat for Democrats, as Turner won 70% of the vote after he ran an 83-day campaign. 

Abbott had until last week to call the election in time for the vote to be held in May. However, the governor said nothing. There is a possibility he could try to hold the seat open until 2026.