Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the man he is vying to unseat in next year’s Republican primary, US Sen. John Cornyn, are both using the powers of their offices to try to pressure the Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to prevent a vote on a GOP-led redistricting plan.

The political standoff at the Texas Capitol intensified Friday as Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit seeking to remove 13 Democratic state representatives from office over their continued absence from the House floor.

TA Texas judge granted Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) a temporary restraining order in his suit against former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and his political group, Powered by People. The ruling came just hours after Paxton sued claiming unlawful fundraising activity to help Democratic state House members who fled the state to stall a