Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has scheduled a special election this fall to fill the open seat of Democrat Rep. Sylvester Turner amid criticism that he delayed voting to help congressional Republicans, who have only a narrow House majority. 

Democrats have accused Abbott of "playing politics," while the governor argues that Harris County, where the election will be held, still has election-integrity issues that must first be resolved, according to Newsmax.

"They repeatedly fail to conduct elections consistent with state law," Abbott said. “Forcing Harris County to rush this special election on weeks’ notice would harm the interests of voters. The appropriate time to hold this election is November, which will give Harris County sufficient time to prepare for such an important election.”

Teneshia Hudspeth, the chief elections officer in Harris County, disputes that argument, saying the county is "fully prepared."

Election Day will be Nov. 4. Turner died March 5. The state held elections on May 3.  

Last week, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he would "very likely" file a lawsuit after Abbott failed to schedule a prompt special election. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, one of the Democrat candidates for Turner's seat, has also threatened to sue Abbott and is calling for a June election.

"It is unconscionable to leave nearly 800,000 people in this district without representation in Congress for most of the year," Menefee said. 

Other Democrats who have either officially declared a candidacy or are interested in running include Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and former congressional candidate Robert Slater.

Republican Cyrus Sajna and two independents, Khristopher Beal and Derrell Turner, are also in the race, according to the Washington Examiner. 

The seat is considered safe for Democrats because the county has been consistently voting for Democrats since 2008 during the presidential elections, according to the U.S. Election Atlas.

Candidates must file applications with the secretary of state by 5 p.m. on Sept. 3. Early voting will begin on Oct. 20 and go through Oct. 31.