Gov. Greg Abbott has set Nov. 4 as the special election date to fill the congressional seat left vacant by former Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death — a timeline that leaves the solidly Democratic seat vacant for at least seven months as Republicans look to drive President Donald Trump’s agenda through a narrowly divided Congress.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) set the special election to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner for Nov. 4 after Democratic outrage that the governor had not done so escalated over the past week. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said last week he would “very likely” file a lawsuit after Abbott had slow-walked announcing a