Democratic lawmakers maintained their walkout to thwart a Republican gerrymander, prompting Ken Paxton to ask the state’s Supreme Court to remove 13 of them from their seats.

ST. CHARLES, Ill. - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) asked the state's high court Friday to expel 13 Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas this week in an effort to prevent the GOP-controlled legislature from redrawing congressional district maps to create five new safe seats for Republicans.

Texas Democrats on Friday again defied Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the state GOP and did not show for a vote on a Republican-proposed redistricting plan Shortly after, the state's Republican attorney general went to court to try to remove some of them from office.

While the map is accurate, the House seat was not "stolen" by Democrats — the district was drawn by the Republican-controlled Texas state legislature.

Republicans had warned they would escalate efforts to end the nearly weeklong holdout if defiant Democrats do not return to the state Capitol. But the Democrats who bolted for points across the country on Aug.

Dozens of Democratic legislators fled Texas to block GOP from voting on legislation that would allow for a redrawing of the congressional map.