Texas’ newly redrawn congressional districts cannot be used in the midterm elections of 2026, a blow to Republican efforts to win favor in their favor, according to a panel of federal judges.
The map was blocked on Tuesday by a two-to-one majority in the US District Court for western Texas on the grounds that there was “substantial evidence” that “Texas gerrymandered” the districts.
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Court precedent has generally stated that partisan gerrymandering is legal, but congressional maps that are divided along racial lines are viewed as violating the US Constitution and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
“This case is perceived by the public as being politically motivated.” Political factors were certainly a factor in creating the 2025 Map. In the court’s 160-page opinion’s opening, the majority wrote, “But it was much more than just politics.”
Prior to the crucial midterm elections, which determine the composition of the US Congress, efforts to redraw congressional districts suffered a significant setback.
In that election, all 435 House of Representatives seats will be up for grabs. Analysts speculate that the chamber’s control might change as Republicans’ narrow 219-seat majority shifts.
A nationwide race to redesign congressional districts in the interests of one party or the other had begun in Texas, a Republican stronghold.
In order to increase Republicans’ ability to win five additional House seats, President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly reached out to state officials to redraw the red state’s map in June.
The Texas legislature passed a new, gerrymandered map in August despite reluctance and a walkout by state Democrats.
That prompted other right-leaning states to redraw their districts in a similar way, particularly North Carolina and Missouri. A map that Republicans could use to add another House seat was passed by North Carolina and Missouri.
A Democratic reaction to Texas’ actions also ensued. In his state, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, spearheaded a ballot initiative to pass a proposal that would end a democratic-run independent districting commission in favor of a partisan map in November.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot initiative in November, helping Democrats win five more seats in California the following year.
Myriad legal disputes have been brought about by the state redistricting controversy, including the one that was decided on Tuesday in Texas.
Civil rights organizations charged that the Texas government was trying to stifle the participation of Black and Latino voters.
The majority decision was written in favor of the plaintiffs by Judges Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, and David Guaderrama, a former president.
A third judge, Jerry Smith, who was appointed under Ronald Reagan, disagreed with their decision.
Brown claimed in a letter to the majority that a top official from the state’s civil rights division, Harmeet Dhillon, made the “legally incorrect assertion” that four state congressional districts were “unconstitutional” because of non-white majority members.
According to Brown, the letter Dhillon sent that assertion contributed to the redistricting debate in Texas.
The judge also referred to statements made by Texas Governor Greg Abbott that appeared to make mention of the district’s racial makeup. Brown claimed it was odd that no predominantly white districts were targeted if the new map’s objectives were purely partisan and not racial.
The map of Texas’ congressional districts was restored following Tuesday’s ruling. The US House currently contains 12 Democrats and 25 Republicans who represent the state.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already made a promise to file an appeal with the US Supreme Court.
The “radical left” is once more attempting to stifle the people’s will. In a statement posted on social media, Paxton claimed that “The Big Beautiful Map was entirely legal and passed for partisan purposes to better represent Texas’ political affiliations.”
He expressed optimism about the Supreme Court’s conservative-leaning predictions. I firmly anticipate that the Court will uphold Texas’s constitutional right to partisan redistrict.
