A second special session was called Friday after the Texas House failed to make a quorum for a sixth time in a row, amid Democrats leaving the state to protest a redistricting plan expected to favor Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.

The Texas Legislature began a new special legislative session Friday after Gov. Greg Abbott called lawmakers back to deal with congressional redistricting and a host of other issues — laying down a new gauntlet for Democrats who fled the state nearly two weeks ago to halt a vote on a new district map.

Texas lawmakers are set to gavel in at 10 a.m. Friday for what could be the final day of the state's first special session as House Democrats remain out of state in a bid to block Republican redistricting plans that would add five GOP seats to Congress.