Armed with a massive campaign war chest, Greg Abbott is using aggressive tactics against Democrats and fellow Republicans to cement conservative priorities in Texas.

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.

New York Times columnist David Brooks compared Trump's Texas redistricting efforts to 'mustard gas' on democracy, criticizing both parties' gerrymandering tactics.

On Monday, Abbott spoke with CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink live during the 5 p.m. newscast about the political standoff in Austin.

The blistering Texas summer is usually a time when candidates announce their campaigns and begin raising money for the election year ahead. This Texas summer has been cooler than normal, and so has the announcement period for some of the high-profile 2026 races.

Texas Democrats who oppose a controversial Republican-led redistricting plan appear to be shifting strategy from walkout to holding protest rallies.