Democrats concede there’s only so much they can do to keep Texas from redrawing its maps. But they want to encourage blue states to retaliate.

"These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold," Paxton said in a statement.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to call “special session after special session after special session” in response to Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state to block redistricting legislation, saying they’ll have to stay out of Texas for years to prevent it becoming law.

Democrats have left the state, the Republican governor and attorney general have vowed to remove them from office, and a senator has called in the F.B.I.

Texas Republicans are trying to redraw congressional districts to pick up five additional U.S. House seats. Democrats face financial and political risk in their bid to block the GOP plan.

A judge temporarily barred O'Rourke's political group from helping to fund Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state.